Continued commission for  exatron! Again, this is a spoiler to my story in the Palamani Dominion. If you don't want the ending spoiled, DO NOT READ. Otherwise, enjoy! I hope you like it as much as I had fun writing it.

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Daniel ©  exatron
Story © Moi

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The sprawling savannah of Al-Barrad was easy to travel for the Guardian and Maximus, if hot. Sticking by the river that fed the city, they were guaranteed to never go thirsty at least.

Their journey had been carried out in tense silence since leaving Kabir Al-Fahd, until Maximus gathered the courage to speak. “What do I call you?”

“Pardon?”

“You have a name besides Guardian, I hope. Otherwise your parents were terribly unoriginal.”

“Daniel.”

Maximus arched his brow, looking up at the cheetah. “Daniel? That’s not an Al-Barrad name. That’s a Western name.”

“No, truly? Never would’ve guessed.” Daniel smirked. “I was born in Umberland; my parents were refugees when the Al-Barrad Caliphate’s Eagles and Hawks drove out the Cat Lords.”

“Wait, refugees? The Al-Barrad Caliphate threw the Cat Lords out in 158 of the Third Age. You mean to tell me you’re over four hundred years old?” Maximus stopped his horse. “I’m not going to take you to Ras-Almal if you’re going to treat me like a joke. You’re stronger, but I have my honor.”

Daniel shrugged. “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth. I was born in Umberland, but after I outlived… everyone in my village, I was almost hung for being a witch. The only reason I wasn’t is because I snapped the rope with my neck.” He flexed the tendons of his bullneck for emphasis. “From there, I meandered around Candaren; that’s where I got these,” he tapped his finger against his spectacles. “I came across more of my kind in Andalecia, and then crossed Illias and the Remeran city-states before I met Valentulus.”

“You met Valentulus? The Founder?” Maximus asked with as much skepticism in his voice as he could muster.

“Yeah. Ruddy weird wolf. Only person I ever saw as big as me. He gave me one look and said, ‘You’re not meant to be here, not now. You need to go home, first.’ So, first I thought Umberland. But no sailor would even take me.” Daniel smirked. “Maybe they thought I’d tip the boat. Then, I thought that my ancestry is in the Caliphate… maybe I should go there? The Al-Barrads actually weren’t so bad. They were scared of me, so maybe that explained whatever hospitality they gave me. I didn’t feel like Ras-Almal was right for me, so I wandered South for a decade or two. Kabir Al-Fahd wasn’t even founded yet, just some nomad shepherds passing through. They were attacked by bandits, and so I jumped in to help them out. They were so grateful, they wanted me to be their leader, but I…” Daniel shrugged. “I don’t need that type of adulation. So I just told them if they needed my help, I’d be there for them.”

“So they, what, built their village around you?” Maximus asked. “And you just live in your cave like a wild beast?”

“Hey, I take offence to that. You can go back right now and look at my den; it’s clean as a whistle. By then, I was… what, almost three hundred years old? I finally found home, and I was just… tired. I guess anyone would be, travelling around for almost three centuries. I sleep for days, sometime weeks in that cave. I wake up to keep the place clean, catch up on some reading, get something to eat… my cycle was only ever interrupted when the village was in danger. Or when uppity eagles throw boulders at me.” He added with a glance down at Maximus. “The village would hold a feast, fill me with food ‘til I was fit to burst, give me gifts, then I’d just… go back to sleep until I was needed again.”

“And what are you now? Are you going to fall asleep for a week when we’re half way to Ras-Almal? I’m not dragging you there.” Maximus said.

“Not that you could, little bird.” Daniel grinned. Maximus didn’t seem to appreciate the comment.

“Why are you so big, anyways? There’s no Jidou here in Al-Barrad. Did Valentulus give it to you?” The eagle asked after another tense moment.

Daniel shrugged his mighty shoulders, causing spots along his back to dance. “What’s Jidou?”

Maximus wheeled his horse around, causing the great beast to whinny. “Wait.” He held out his hand, stopping Daniel in his tracks. “You’ve never had Jidou water? How could you not, if you apparently knew Valentulus?”

Daniel shrugged again. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Valentulus was big and I was big. Some people are just like that. Isn’t that what the Palamani are?”

Maximus could only blink, his mouth agape. “Jidou water makes us big, a gift of the God of the Strong.” He paused. “Why are you so big?” He asked again, in a sense of wonder. “Were you just born that way?”

“Well, for my mother’s sake I hope not.” Daniel smirked. “That was a joke, Maxy. Palamani do have jokes, don’t they?”

Maximus scowled. Daniel rolled his eyes before continuing his answer. “I was normal as a kid. I had this… really odd dream when I was twelve or so. A unicorn, pure white, with a gold and sapphire mane, and easily bigger than I am now, came to me and said that we would meet one day, and I had to be ready.”

The Centurion stared wide-eyed at Daniel. “A unicorn? With the strength of a thousand men?”

“Well, I don’t know about a thousand, but, thereabouts, yeah.”

“You had a vision of our God, Roland.”

“What? That blasted ‘God of the Strong’ you people are always banging on about?” Daniel scoffed. “Please.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, how many Unicorns with blue and gold manes and roughly the size of a mountain have you seen? When we get to Ras-Almal, you’ll see his temple. Then you can tell me if it isn’t who you saw.” Maximus declared.

“But he wasn’t even a god when I was a kid!”

“Well, he’s a god, isn’t he? You don’t expect time to be the same to immortals, do you?”

Daniel threw up his arms, his tensed bicep blotting out the sun. “You Palamani are impossible. If I have to bash this Exarch’s head in to keep Kabir Al-Fahd safe, your God isn’t going to stop me.”

Maximus arched his brow. For once, he seemed to have touched a nerve. “Have you seen him other times?”

Daniel huffed. “Every time I sleep for more than three days.” Before Maximus could ask further, Daniel took off, running faster than the eagle would expect from someone his size. He had to whip his horse into a gallop to keep up, and by the time Daniel stopped for a drink at a spring that fed into the river, no more talk of the unicorn or Daniel’s visions would be tolerated.

Most of the journey from there would be done in silence. Daniel had snuck in a few books amongst the rations the villagers had packed, while Maximus whittled the evenings away by writing in his journal. In the enforced silence, however, the two found some begrudging respect for one another.

“If he is truly doing this for why he says he is,” Maximus wrote in one journal entry as he observed the great cheetah sleeping on their second night, “then he is nobler than most. Nothing seems to interest him but his duty to protecting his village. There is great merit in that. In different circumstances, I would have been honored to fight under him, if he could ever muster the discipline the Legions require.”

Daniel was forming a more favorable opinion of the eagle as well. If nothing else, he seemed as protective of his men as the cheetah did of his village. Any suggestion that the soldiers might break their promise was fervently shot down, and pressing the issue only resulted in Maximus’ most indignant ultimatum yet.

“Guardian, I trust those men with my life. Antonius is a fine officer, and my men are proud sons of the Palamani. If, by happenstance of them losing their senses, there is a single incident, I will take their punishment on their behalf. These men are not brutes or savages; they are strangers in a strange land, far from home and unable to write their friends or family. If they act up, I didn’t prepare them enough for this land.”

Daniel had nodded approvingly; they were just words, after all. But very nice words, all the same. If Maximus meant it, he might just forget the fact that the two had met by the eagle throwing a boulder at him.

Another day passed before either of them had anything to say. As the rose to its noon-time peak, Daniel glanced down at Maximus. “So, what’s your story anyways, Maxy?”

“I beg your pardon?”

The cheetah stretched out his arms, letting his large muscles relax and spread out. “You asked me about me a couple days ago, I want to know about you.”

Maximus sighed. “My father was an Emir under the Caliphate. A jealous rival captured us all, however, and sold us into slavery. We changed hands a dozen times. By the time we were given to a Palamani Slave Trader in Old Remera, he was convinced we were more war captives. Though my parents always remained frail by the Dominion’s standards, they weaned me on Jidou water they managed to steal away from our new masters. When I was strong enough, I fought for our freedom. I was sixteen.” Maximus bounced his bulging chest for emphasis. “From there, I had to support my parents. My father was still shrewd, and secured me a wife from an old Remeran family.” Maximus glowered, looking up at the noon-time sky.

Daniel smirked. “I can tell by the look on your face she’s the love of your life.”

Maximus nearly spat. “She is not. Her family had married into the Caliphate before, but she was as cold and frigid a stranger to me as if she were a Northern barbarian. She’s beautiful, by Palamani standards, with strong arms and legs, a broad back, and a large chest, but I’d rather sleep with a viper.”

“Hence why you’re a thousand miles away from Remera.”

Maximus smiled bleakly. “I had served in the Legion before with distinction. They were happy to have me back, and I’ve been happy fighting for the Dominion that made me strong. The only reason I continue going on leave is because of the one good thing that came out of my marriage… my daughter Aquilia. She’s nothing like her mother, and I have only Roland to thank.”

“Do you miss her?”

Maximus grinned. “Every day. But enough reminiscing… behold, Ras-Almal; the latest jewel in the Dominion’s crown.”

Daniel whistled low. The two stood on the crest of a hill, and saw the city from a bird’s eye view. The river they had travelled along met the sea, and cut the city in two. The city sprawled across both river banks, stitched together with tall, graceful stone bridges and ringed by a tall wall with soaring parapets capped with domes. The wall was currently undergoing extensive repairs; the Palamani had not been kind on the city’s defenses when they had laid siege to it. Inside the walls were sprawling palaces, bustling markets, domes cast in gold, and towering minarets. Just at the end of the horizon was the city’s burgeoning harbor, were a hundred ships jostled each other in Ras-Almal’s distinctive circular harbor at the river delta.

“Wow,” Daniel ran a hand through his long brown hair. “It’s a lot bigger than it was two hundred years ago.”

Maximus grinned. “So are the people.”

As the two rode down the hill, two burly soldiers saluted Maximus as he drew near, and regarded Daniel with a mixture of suspicion and awe. As the cheetah and eagle passed the gate, Daniel spotted a hole in the bronze surface of the gate that looked like it had been torn out.

“That your handiwork?” He asked Maximus.

“And your Village Elders thought I was making it up,” the eagle smirked.

The streets of Ras-Almal were packed with sandstone buildings adorned with mosaics with colorful awnings filled to bursting with exotic goods and loud shopkeepers pushing their wares. The streets were absolutely packed. While Maximus and especially Daniel stood out in the crowd, it was easy to tell the natives from the Palamani conquerors. Of diverse species, the Palamani towered over the locals and dwarfed them by virtue of their strong and thick bodies. They wore revealing clothes or shimmering armor as they swaggered down the streets, and seemed fond of strong-arming the locals. The conquered Al-Barrad were all dour falcons, eagles, hawks, cranes and other birds, wrapped in concealing robes, veils, and head scarves. Some of the locals seemed to be somewhere between an average build and a Palamani body, and were constantly tugging on clothes that used to fit better.

“This the work of your Jidou water?” Daniel asked, observing a local, still swathed in heavy robes, trying to ingratiate himself with a group of Palamani. The bird flexed an arm swollen with muscle, while the Palamani judged him with appraising looks.

“Only for a few so far.” Maximus responded. “We haven’t had a chance to build an aqueduct to serve the entire city, so the rich of the city have been buying up Jidou powder from our Da-Zhou allies and the surplus our quartermasters have.”

As they passed a square dominated by a domed temple covered in blue tiles and mosaics of eagles in flight, Daniel suddenly let out a low growl, sniffing the air and flexing his claws as the fur on his massive back stood on end.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s… someone. Something in this city that means Kabir Al-Fahd harm. This is the sense that wakes me up.”

Maximus scoffed. “Just the one? Any Palamani that knows about Kabir Al-Fahd knows it’s one of the last holdouts in the Caliphate that hasn’t submitted to Palamani rule.”

“No…” Daniel growled. He pointed over the rooftops, to minarets surrounding a monumental golden dome. “Someone in there. They want to destroy Kabir Al-Fahd.”

Maximus frowned. “That’s the Caliph’s old palace. It’s now Exarch Claudius’ residence.”

Daniel scowled. “I have a feeling Claudius is not going to have a good day once he meets me.”

“I know I didn’t.” The Centurion grumbled.

The palace was the central hub of Ras-Almal’s wealthy district. There were very few locals here; most of the Palamani here were cats or birds, descendants of Al-Barrad, and covered themselves in gold jewelry while putting as much of their over-developed, hulking bodies on display as possible while still maintaining decency. The gulf between Maximus’ body and Ras-Almal’s new wealthy was closed considerably, with some of them even able to dwarf him, but none reached Daniel’s size. As they neared the palace, Maximus slid off his horse, and held out his hand for Daniel. “A few things to be aware of… Claudius isn’t just bigger than me, he’s a giant. I think he might even be bigger than you. It’s no secret he’s been bulking up to take on Valentulus III, and he isn’t afraid to swing his fists around to prove his strength. Some would say he actively looks for opportunities to do so.”

“You think I care? He could be bigger than his palace, I wouldn’t let him hurt the people of Kabir Al-Fahd. Those people took care of me, gave me the first home I knew in three centuries. I’m not scared of your Exarch.” The cheetah declared, crossing his arms.

Maximus held up his hands. “As you say. I just thought I should warn you. Let me do the talking until we get to Claudius.” The eagle led Daniel forward, nodding to the soldiers at the palace’s main gate. The soldiers, in gold-embossed armor, were only slightly smaller than Maximus, but saluted him nonetheless. Like the gate guards, they gave Daniel wary looks mixed with awe as they watched the cheetah lumber past.

“At least you’ve left your mark on Ras-Almal.” Maximus muttered.

“You should’ve seen the looks they gave me two hundred years ago.”

The Caliph’s palace had stood for over a thousand years, and had changed hands time and time again. Built by a rival of Remera, it was passed to the Remeran Empire, then the Cat Lords, then the Al-Barrad Caliphate, and finally, the Palamani Dominion claimed it as their inheritance from Remera. It was a stunning piece of architecture, with walls completely covered in the distinctive blue and gold tiles of the region and intricate mosaics. Its vast halls were light and open to the air, supported by graceful columns, silk curtains fluttering in the wind. It looked almost too delicate for the likes of the Palamani.

The soldiers guarding the halls, hulking as they were, looked like the epitome of militaristic discipline. They stood at their post, tall, straight, and still as statues. Whatever dignity the stoic guards garnered for the Palamani administration began to evaporate as Maximus and Daniel crossed the last corridor. There was loud shouting, like some overgrown child was throwing a tantrum. Dignity was lost entirely when they entered the throne room.

“I don’t CARE if it was built like I asked, the throne is TOO SMALL!” Daniel ducked down, just before a massive chunk of stone blasted through a richly decorated wall that had stood for a millenia. Both Daniel and Maximus stared transfixed at the towering ogre that had thrown it.

Exarch Claudius looked less like a Palamani, and more like a parody of one. He was the rarest of all the species that had Al-Barrad blood, a gryphon, but his body was so bloated with over-developed muscle it began to distort his natural features. He seemed to positively dwarf Daniel in every way; his arm alone was as big as the cheetah’s torso. But arms that size, accompanied with the rest of his body at similar proportions, with his own bicep pressing against his face if he so much as moved, came at a price; he seemed like he could hardly bend them. The Palamani were known for wielding tremendous amounts of muscle, but there was a certain way to go about it, and Claudius had clearly been taking shortcuts. His chest was so swollen, with pecs pushing up against his beak, his plumage was spread thin, and specks of naked, pink flesh could be spotted beneath his golden feathers. His torso spoke not of hard muscle, or even an uncut form of stout strength, but sheer gluttony, swollen to a sphere and jiggling against thighs inflated to an absurd size.

He panted as he struggled to settle his arms against his over-sized sides, and glared at Maximus. “Centurion. Who’s this puny cat you’ve brought before me? Are those little glasses he has on?” The Exarch chuckled darkly, his torso heaving and bouncing. “He looks like a savage.”

Daniel arched a brow. Claudius wore as little as he did, with only a white kilt edged in purple, kept in place by a massive gold girdle that was clearly too small for his vast waist.

Maximus scratched his beak for a moment. “A… representative, Your Greatness. Of the people of Kabir Al-Fahd. They wish to join the Dominion.”

“You mean they surrendered.” Claudius corrected.

“Ah, no… you see, Exarch, Kabir Al-Fahd was never run by the Caliphate, ergo, we were never at war with them. The Caliphate claimed it, but because of their… representative here, they were never a part of Al-Barrad.” Maximus explained.

“I’m Daniel, Exarch,” the cheetah stepped forward. “Kabir Al-Fahd and the region around it would like to join the Dominion; but on our own terms. Kabir Al-Fahd has a certain way of life, and we would not like to see it disappear.”

Claudius let out a booming laugh, and started waddling toward Daniel, panting from the effort until he was close enough to cast him in his shadow. “Then the Palamani Dominion officially declares war on Kabir Al-Fahd. If you’re there representative, then you can speak for them. Surrender, or die.”

Daniel growled, sniffing the air. His eyes seemed to flash, but Maximus swore it was just the light catching his spectacles. “It IS you. You reek of it.”

“What?” Claudius demanded.

“Leave Kabir Al-Fahd alone. Now. You only get one chance. I can smell your bad intentions for my home.” Daniel snarled.

“So it’s you?” Claudius gave the cheetah and odd look, and then regarded the members of his administration for the first time. He had to turn his entire body to glance at them because of his own shoulders pumped to such a size they were pressing against his tufted ears. They were a group of huddled Palamani in togas and robes, watching Claudius intently. The Exarch turned back to Daniel with a malicious smile, and his hand grappled the cheetah’s shoulder. With the slightest twitch of his humongous arm, began pushing Daniel down to his knees. The cheetah struggled, but he was slowly sinking down to the floor. In terms of raw strength, Claudius was unmatched.

“Your Greatness…” Maximus began. “This man came with me in good faith. He’s only trying to negotiate!”

“Shut up, Centurion!” Claudius barked. “You couldn’t even get a pathetic, savage village to surrender. So much for the Champion of Ras-Almal Siege.” He growled, wrapping his arm around Daniel’s bullneck and slamming the cheetah against his bulk. “You’re as weak as this little kitten, here.”

“Exarch! This is wrong, let him go!” Maximus leapt to Daniel’s defence, trying to pry the gryphon’s arm off of him.

“CENTURION!” Claudius picked Maximus up by his cloak like the eagle was a ragdoll. “You are insubordinate; consider this me relieving you of duty!” He hurled the eagle, and cackled as Maximus smacked against the wall, sliding down to the polished marble floor in an unconscious heap.

“HAH! If that’s the only person speaking in your favor, kitten, you are truly weak.”

Daniel glared up at Claudius; the other Palamani gasped as they saw the cheetah’s eyes glow with a blinding white light, and later reports would tell of how his mane of rich brown hair shimmered gold. He swung his arm, claws slashing into the Exarch’s body. Claudius let out a roar of pain as blood seeped out, but it was only superficial. Daniel needed to do more.

The cheetah tensed his own abundant muscles, flexing his chest against the gryphon’s swollen belly, and with one great heave of his arms, wrenched himself free of Claudius’ grasp. The gryphon charged forward with his staggering gait, and grappled with Daniel. The cheetah’s glowing eyes unnerved him, but he managed to push the cheetah up against a wall. As he swung, however, Daniel ducked, escaping the Exarch a second time.

As Claudius, slowly getting winded by the effort, waddled towards Daniel, the cheetah tensed his powerful legs and leapt into the air, slamming into Claudius and sending the gryphon falling like a felled tree; he took out a column with him as he hit the floor with enough force to send tremors into the next room.

Panting heavily, the gryphon wriggled his massive body, desperate to get up, but Daniel clambered over him, and smacked his arms away as they made a clumsy attempt to grab the cheetah. He straddled Claudius’ chest, and glared at him with that white-hot gaze.

“No…” Claudius wheezed. “I just… needed a little more…”

Daniel punched Claudius with all his strength, knocking the Exarch into unconsciousness. The cheetah immediately leapt off the prone gryphon, and raced over to Maximus, propping the eagle up. His hands shimmered with the same golden white light that shone in his eyes as he rested them on the eagle’s chest and forehead. After a moment, Maximus gasped and jerked forward, like he had woken up from a bad dream.

As the eagle stood with uneasy legs, he stared at the cheetah looming over him. “Daniel… what did you just do?”

The cheetah shook his head, looking down at the eagle with his normal brown eyes. “It’s…” He screwed his eyes shut, clearing his mind. The past few minutes were hazy, to say the least. “It’s complicated.”

Claudius’ administration rushed over, a dozen strong, staring up at Daniel. “What’re we supposed to do?” One demanded.

Maximus steadied himself. “Well… if nothing else, it seems we have a new Exarch."