No.16 of Tales, my first 2018 writing! Sorry it took a while. Things got in my way :O

But I hope you all enjoy!

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One Night ago

Deep within a forest, a caravan moves slowly across a well worn track bordered by thick undergrowth. A trio of buffalo are laden with sacks and another drags a cart behind it. They are lead by a skinny crocodile. In front are a pair of warriors with shields made of oxen hide supported by a wooden frame and a spears. Two more warriors follow behind. They all looked on edge, their eyes darting around the pitch darkness, flinching at any sudden noise, a crack of a branch or the eerie screech of an owl, piercing the soft drone of crickets and nightjar. Despite the lanterns hanging from the cart, they did illuminated very little and the darkness presses in ominously.
“We’re in the deepest part of the forest now,” one of the warriors, a leopard, says. He turns to the crocodile with a scornful look. “Why you didn’t want to wait until dawn is beyond me.”
“These fish will be rotten by tomorrow!” the crocodile replies in a nasally voice “Besides I decided to sell the other produce as well, kill two birds with one stone as they say. Anyway, the ‘ghosts’,” he draws quotation marks with his fingers in the air “Or whatever they are don’t scare me. The village types are superstitious idiots, don’t believe a word they--”
A sound cuts across the crocodile’s rambling, a symphony of bleeps and beeps. The guards raise their shields and circle the caravan forming a wall.
“Having second thoughts?” the leopard asks the crocodile cowering in the cart.
The beeps seem to die away and the forest is now eerily silent. Minutes tick slowly and dread sinks down the cheetah’s spine like trickling cold water.
“Over there!”
One of the guards points with a shaking arm to an area between two trees. A small light was flickering, like a tiny flame.
“Perhaps its a campfire or torches?”
But the flame had been growing large and coming closer, accompanied by the thuds of heavy footfalls. Something pushes a small tree over and lumbers into the clearing. The warriors gasp and back away in horror, shaking their heads in disbelief and their legs quiver.
“STAND FAST MEN!” The leopard yells, “Send this demon back to where it came from.”
They throw a volley of spears at their attacker, but they bounce of uselessly on some unseen surface. Blades whip out from the darkness and slice at their shields and sending guards flying. The crocodile cowers in his cart, hearing the screams of the guards and their voices fading.
“Wait! Don’t go!” he screams, sitting up in the cart, which tips over. The buffalo have also fled. He raises his head, only to find himself face to face with the mysterious flame hovering right above him. His scream had barely left his mouth when a jet of fire erupts around him.

The next day


The grass whispers like a soothing voice in the midday air, the sunlight glistening on their stalks. Under the branches of massive acacia tree, a pile of specimen glasses lie piled up in the shade, containing a myriad of creatures. Small lizards, insects, spiders and fish swim or crawl around in water or over bits of branches and leaves. Altallo studies one full of tadpoles wriggling around in water and then places it down with the rest.
“Good good, these will all do. Fine specimens. How are the larger ones doing?”
On the edge of the shade, larger animals stand or lie down looking quite relaxed, even prey alongside predator.
“They’re all here,” says Kiya as she pets the head of an enormous lion. “Does your aura thing affect all animals?”
“Not all of them. We once encountered this huge creature Shern’aath calls a knife-tooth long ago. It was too big and probably too hungry also. Remember that?” Altallo asks the raptor who shudders.
“Don’t remind me! I was almost lunch on that day. Also there’s smoke over there. It could be a town.”
“Oh! Can we go visit?” Kiya asks excitedly, bouncing on her heels. “We can find food there! Actual food with texture! Bread, dates, pomegranates and goose!”
“And there will be great hunting too! And they won’t stick to your mouth and teeth.” Shern’aath says, also looking eager. Altallo frowns.
“Very well,” he sighs in a resigned tone. “Lets get these animals in and then we’ll head off.” He picks up a number of glass jars and stomps into the ship, huffing.
“Ah don’t worry,” Shern’aath says noticing Kiya’s worried look. “He’ll bounce back soon.”


Later, with three bagfuls of gemstones, the trio make their way through a thicket of baobab and acacia, their wide branches and full leaves protecting them from a light drizzle of rain. As they emerge from the trees onto another flat area of grassland. Nestled next to a watering hole is a small town surrounded by walls made of mud bricks and wooden beams, tastefully decorated with black and white abstract patterns. Beyond the town lies a dense rainforest that seems to stretch forever across the horizon in one direction and more rolling grasslands in the other. A small trail leads from the town gates and disappear into the forest. An ominous cloud of dark smoke rises up from the rainforest depths, while another winds its way across the savannah, to where the walls of another town could be seen just peaking above the a hill. Kiya and Shern’aath rush into town eagerly, Altallo seems much more cautious, looking worriedly back at the smoke and then up at the wall’s walkways, where soldiers with spears, bows and javelins prowl.
“That’s odd, its like they expect an attack.” he ponders to himself. Kiya meanwhile is chatting eagerly to a pair of Egyptian merchants with their stock of jewellery. A headband made of silver and adorned with a beautiful gold and turquoise scarab beetle grabs her attention. Meanwhile Shern’aath sidles up to Altallo, carrying a pair of sticks with cuts of cooked meat on them, with one already in his mouth.
“Cheer up Alty! You look like dirge.” he says in a muffled voice, nudging the Eternal and accidentally spraying his face with spit and bits of food. “Oops sorry!”
“What is that?” Altallo asks grudgingly as he wipes his face.
“Oh these? They’re called suya, they’re very tasty! I bought you and Kiya one each. You should try it.”
Altallo looks glumly at it as Kiya dashes over, her new headband gleaming in the sun.
“Oh thanks Shern’aath,” she says happily, munching on the suya. “Just met some people who have travelled from Sinai, where they got the turquoise for this headband. What do you think?”
“It looks good on you, don’t you agree Alty?...Alty?”
But Altallo had disappeared. They see one blue clad leg disappear into a grass hut with a beaded entrance, overshadowed by a towering building with many colourful spires and towers. Shern’aath smirks and shakes his head Kiya giggles.
“I’ll go with him to make sure he doesn’t get hurt,” Shern’aath says.
Kiya sits herself down nearby on a low stone wall under the shade of a tree with beautiful red flowers, munching on the rest of her suya. She hears something behind her and turning, she spots a small wooden door in the building behind her open a crack and someone slips out, a young zebra, dressed in vermilion robes that cover his entire upper body and decorated with gold hoop earrings and other jewellery. He looks nervously around and then notices Kiya. He presses a hoofed finger to his lips. Kiya’s eyes widen in shock and she turns away, pretending not to notice him, while giving him the thumbs up behind her back. The zebra gulps and then tries to keep to edge away, but then the door bursts open, making him jump and Kiya fall of the wall.
“Your highness!” a voice rings out sharply. In the door way stands a black antelope with white markings around his eyes and two massive curved horns on top of his head. He wore plainer robes of pale green. For such a massive person, he seemed jumpy and extremely agitated. He rushes over and shepherds the sad looking zebra away. “You must not go outside! Its not safe out there!” the antelope stammers at him.
Behind the wall, Kiya picks herself up from the floor, rubbing her skinned elbows.
“Highness? He must have been a royal.” she thinks to herself.
Shern’aath and Altallo return laden with odd wooden statues lathered with colourful paint and chatting merrily. From what Kiya could hear at this distance, the shopkeeper had almost done a somersault of joy when Altallo handed him a gemstone the size of his head.
“You been in a fight?” Shern’aath asks, noticing Kiya’s bumps and bruises.
“Nothing of the sort,” she replies, primly and sniffs imperiously at the raptor. “I was just sitting there minding my own business and then-”
She tells them quickly what happens and Altallo strokes his chin thoughfully. But Shern’aath shrugs dismissively.
“Sounds like a mother coddling their hatchling. Never mind them, lets enjoy ourselves! We’ve got the whole town to explore and I’m quite interested in a very fine knife I saw earlier.”

Much later, the sun hangs low in the sky, casting red and orange light across the sky. The trio were making their way back, laden with all manner of things. Shern’aath is staring almost lovingly at his new knife, with its fine sturdy handle and bronze blade that gleams in the sunlight. Altallo, carrying his statues still, shoots the raptor the occassional dirty look while Kiya giggles quietly at both of them.
Nearing the gates, the find them closed. Shern’aath rushes up and tries pulling them open, but they stubbornly remain closed and soon the raptor slumps back onto the ground exhausted.
“Locked!” he gasps. Kiya grabs the knife from his side and starts slashing at the gate wildly. Altallo covers his face to protect himself from flying woodchips.
“Steady on!” he shouts
“You there!” cries another voice from above. A figure leaps down gracefully and lands right in front of them. A tall, lean and muscly leopard with a wooden shield, a massive scallop shaped spear and a curved sword strapped to her back. Her brilliant orange eyes narrow at them. “Don’t you know there’s a curefew on? And look at what you’ve done to our gate!”
Kiya hurridly hides the knife behind her back and smiles innocently.
“Look, we had no idea about this curfew and we just want to get back to our home,” Altallo says carefully and calmly, as he edges slowly backwards. “And we have nowhere to stay in here. Please can’t you just open the door?”
He turns and walks straight into a massive rhinoceros, covered in white and ochre warpaint who glowers down at him.
“And let in those singing flames?” the leopard asks sarcastically “Not even for all the gold in the world.”
Altallo was about to ask what she meant by ‘singing flames’, but the rhinoceros had started pushing them none too gently away from the gate.
“Captain Majula!”
The young zebra Kiya had seen earlier is running towards them, followed again by the anxious looking antelope. The antelope was holding a parasol over the zebra’s head. The rhino and leopard freeze and bow respectfully to the zebra.
“What are you doing to these people?”
“Your highness, they broke the curfew law and have damaged our gateway,” the leopard called Majula says “We were about to bring them to the dungeon for a day.”
The zebra examines the gate and looks back at Majula with a raised eyebrow, clearly saying ‘Is that it?’, then he pushes past the rhino guard.
“They will come with me to the palace as my guests.”
“Yes sire.” Majula sighs, disappointment etched across her face and her eyes narrow as she watches them leave. Then she turns back to the rhino and signals an order. He nods and rushes off.

The zebra and antelope lead them into a magnificent room in the palace, covered in fine red and purple tapestries, massive vases and impressive stone sculptures with vibrant stripes and stylised faces.
“Please make yourself at home, Kujoe will you please get some refreshments?” the zebra asks the antelope, who politely bows and bustles off. “Oh and I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kwame. I’m the prince of this town.”
“Prince? What does that mean?” Shern’aath ask, scratching his feathered head.
“I’m next in line to become the ruler of this area. My father, the king and my mother are touring the kingdom and left me in charge. Its...its been tough, I will admit.” Kwame sinks into a chair and rubs his temples, looking careworn and tired. Kujoe returns with a tray and four chalices with deep red wine and hands them out before standing attentively near Kwame.
“The captain mentioned these singing flames?” Altallo probes, as he takes a sip from his drink, pursing his mouth at the very rich taste. Kujoe flinches and shivers. Kwame also looks very uncomfortable at this, but licks his lips and takes a deep breath.
“A few weeks ago, we noticed strange lights in the forest at night. At first we thought they were torches of travellers or hunting parties, but they never left. They would stand still at the forest’s edge, as if watching us. Then the attacks started happening. Our fruit and thatch gathers were attacked by huge creatures, so I ordered Majula, the mercenary captain and her troops to guard them. But they reported that their weapons were useless against what was in there, so now we have a strict curfew, since they seem to only appear at dark.”