CHAPTER 40 – ADVANCED LESSONS IN HUNTING
They traveled for some time after that along the road south. Days that went by without much event were merely accounted for and never embellished upon. The road was traveled, meals were shared, camps were erected and taken down with all sorts of conversations throughout. As this particular day came to an end, they had to find camp for the night. With four men, setting up camp became much easier. They found themselves spending more time around the campfire, catching up with each other.
“I still find it hard to believe, Mitakahn,” said Bridger, “You’re telling me a dragon rider healed your broken wrist with the flames from her dragon?”
“We learned about the ancient dragon kingdom forgesmiths at school.”
“Yes.”
“And she gave you a gauntlet that puts itself on and takes itself off?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t forget, it hides in his scars too!” Anilithion added.
“That’s right, it remains unseen.”
“Oh, I get it, I know what this is all about, my friend.” Mitakahn smiled and stood up. “You all want to see it.”
“Took you long enough,” said Bridger.
Mitakahn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He would use this as an opportunity to practice activating the gauntlet without involving his sword. He did it once before. He had to clear his mind. Don’t think about the gauntlet opening itself up. Mitakahn focused on his hand and what it felt like with the gauntlet on. The best way to put it was a slight icy numbness, crisp without being cold. He knew the feeling and wanted to get more familiar with it.
Mitakahn opened his eyes, and his left hand was covered in silver metal. He hadn’t even heard it this time. His friends marveled silently at it. He brandished the design, reflecting the raging fire light off of the gauntlet’s silvery lines. He formed a fist with his metal fingers and then stretched them out straight, showing off the metal’s pliability.
“Wow, that is versatile, Mitakahn. I must say.”
“Every warrior should be so lucky to have a gauntlet like that on the battlefield.”
“Yes, the silvery metal can bend in places normal metal can’t, but what can it withstand?”
“Ah, it appears that a demonstration is in order. Anilithion, if you would be so kind.”
Anilithion stood up and drew his sword. Mitakahn braced himself and nodded to his cousin, giving him the go ahead to strike. Anilithion brought his sword over his head with both hands, right down on Mitakahn. He didn’t hold back at all. Mitakahn stood firm. He left foot pointed at his attacker. He caught Anilithion’s sword strike. His gauntleted hand holding the edge of Anilithion’s sword. Mitakahn threw the sword back and his cousin along with it. He waved to Excelsior and Bridger, palm out. Not a scratch was on the silver gauntlet.
“Remarkable.”
“I must say Mitakahn, that is some piece of armor.”
“Thank you, Bridger.”
“The fire.”
“What?”
“How does the magical gauntlet hold up against fire?”
“Probably with ease, from whence it came, and all that,” said Bridger.
Mitakahn squatted down beside the fire. Not breaking eye contact with Excelsior, he slowly waved his hand through the fire. Bridger laughed and Anilithion gasped. Any normal person would have pulled their hand away from the fire after that with third degree burns. Mitakahn barely blinked. His gauntlet unscathed.
“No, that’s too easy.”
Excelsior took one of his swords out and used its point to shift a hot ember out of the fire. He balanced it on the flat side of his sword and lifted it out of the fire. Excelsior served the hot ember to Mitakahn.
“Oh, now we are talking.” Bridger said.
Mitakahn looked at the ember, its red blaze reflecting through the ashy smudges on Excelsior’s blade. He picked it up with his silver hand.
Mitakahn held the ember in a closed fist. He looked from friend to friend as he held his left hand out in front of them. After a couple of moments, to Mitakahn’s surprise, a heat crept in. The longer he held it the more it began to burn. When the heat turned to pain the gauntlet spasmed and reclined back into his silver scars, tossing the ember to the grass. Orion scampered over to the hot ember and smothered it with his massive paws.
“Interesting.”
“So, it’s flame retardant, but not fireproof.”
“You’d think a gauntlet forged in fire would be fireproof.”
“Well how could they mold it if the metal was fireproof?”
“Aha!”
“The metal is from Chronis, which means its properties must derive from his silver tail feathers.”
“Which means one of his weaknesses could be fire.”
Mitakahn nodded as he stared at his hand. “I guess it’s a good thing we tried all this.”
“You don’t know your boundaries until you push them,” said Excelsior.
“That’s either a gem of wisdom or a good excuse to get drunk.”
Excelsior smiled.
“What else can it do?”
“Well, I noticed it changes its shade of metal, based on what I am not sure of yet.”
“That could be another practical use for the gauntlet. Keep it up and that shield will turn out to be a better weapon or tool than any of us carry.”
“We should be looking more into that dragon rider,” Bridger pointed to the sky, “and that bird.” He pointed at Chronis.
Chronis turned and looked at Mitakahn, as if he was surprised the conversation found its way to him.
“You just want to recreate the armor.”
“Shouldn’t we all be properly plated for what’s to come?”
“Bridger raises a fair point.”
“If our lead fails in Epitaph maybe Chronis will show us the way, but as of right now, it looks like he also wants us heading south.”
Mitakahn looked at Chronis who exchanged looks with him and every other member of the group. The bird looked oblivious, but it still went down the line, one at a time and looked at each of them, starting with Mitakahn, and then back again, ending with Mitakahn. He ruffled his feathers as if settling in and then plopped himself down for sleep, part of their circle around the fire. They all soon followed suit.
Mitakahn woke up with the sunrise, unaware that he had fallen asleep. Chronis was by his side, tightly wrapped up in a bundle under his outstretched arm, fast asleep. Mitakahn peered at the sight. He had never really witnessed a bird sleeping before, not to mention one that felt comfortable in a human embrace. Something about it gave Mitakahn a sense of intimacy and love for the bird. The fact that Chronis trusted Mitakahn enough to sleep beside him was very inspiring.
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Now that Chronis was back, Mitakahn felt a renewed sense of legitimacy. He could not rationally explain it. In fact, he could not explain Chronis at all. But everything about this journey they were on, revolved around the unexplainable and Chronis seemed to be a perfect incarnation of that faith in mystery.
Chronis rested gleefully on Mitakahn’s left shoulder. Every so often he would take off and fly above them in a wide circle. Mitakahn was getting better and better at interacting with the bird, and knew he was not leaving for an extended amount of time. He was just patrolling, scouting ahead.
After a while, Chronis tried trading his seat on Mitakahn’s shoulders for a ride on Orion’s back. It was a match made in the heavens. These two companions turned out to be instant friends and a great source of entertainment. Now making their way south, the group would soon come into the Inner Realm of kingdoms. This included Epitaph City closest of all, Compis Falls to the east, the Komodo Maze to the west, and Crucifire Plains further south.
It was approaching dusk, and the time had come to, once again, set up camp. But this time, they had plenty of supplies and enough people to produce a proper campsite. Bridger, along with Anilithion, took Orion for a walk, and used his canine sense of smell to scout out a perimeter. The two walked together as Orion trotted ahead on a scent. Bridger was a cunning hunter and skilled warrior.
The lords of the Stag Kingdom were among the physical elite of humanity. They could run across the floor as light as a whisper; their feet able to walk along the earth with the highest sensitivity akin to a touch as soft as a feather. Quick and silent, they moved without a trace. And yet, they were as strong and resilient as a mighty elk. Keen trackers, their heightened senses rivaled that of animal abilities like Orion’s. The kingdom believed that peak physical prowess and keen acute senses were the gifts of the Stag gods; ancient elk, moose, and caribou that once roamed their forest, before the dawn of man. Bridger always remembered the cold truth, the unbridled history of his people.
Anilithion walked with the two as he studied the practice of a perfect scouting operation. Bridger held back and made sure there were no tracks coming from any possible threats; as Orion ran ahead and followed any hint of a trail, running them out until all aspects of a chance were disqualified. They moved fluently without missing a beat. Anilithion did his best to keep up. Bridger crouched to the floor and examined an imprint on the ground in the dirt.
“Is something wrong?” asked Anilithion.
Those words wandered off as though unheard by Bridger, his concentration remained firmly attached to whatever story that piece of earth was telling. Orion returned from his most recent loop and joined Bridger in his queries. The dog quickly picked up the trail and took off over the ridge. Bridger and Anilithion sprinted to keep up after Orion. They got over the hill and watched the dust slowly fall back to the ground after being kicked up by Orion’s haste.
“He has run out of sight. We should go back and get Excelsior.”
“Do not fret, Anilithion. I still have his trail and I know what he hunts.”
“What is it?”
But before Bridger could answer, a yelp broke the night’s silence, one that could only belong to Orion. The two warriors fixated upon the area of the scream.
“Quickly!” Bridger yelled out as he ran into the falling dirt. Anilithion watched his companion dive into the darkness and after a moment’s hesitation made pace behind Bridger.
Meanwhile, Excelsior and Mitakahn finished setting up the camp and went looking around for firewood, night now in full effect. Mitakahn walked back out onto the Epitaph Road and peered out into the distance. He stared at the road ahead and the unknown south. This is the furthest south he had ever traveled without his father. He could not help but be constantly reminded of his father.
He could never fully appreciate his love for his father until it was all taken away from him. It made him feel like there was something missing from the prince’s heart. And in that void sprouted a darkness Mitakahn had never felt before. It was what the berserker preyed on. He grew weak, his awareness of the intruding force was hardly apparent, disguised in his head as the looming threat represented in his dreams. Mitakahn could not clearly identify what plagued him. Staring out onto the road his sight grew dark. The horizon dimmed in his eyes, and he began to see the shadow gathering in the south.
He felt like he was no longer looking through his eyes, but he was looking beyond his physical line of sight. He looked beyond the cities and the desert, beyond the mountains and the barren wastelands of the south. He saw dark sails being carried by the wicked winds north through the death trap of the Barren Sea. He saw a dark tone blanketing the night…rapidly spreading.
“Mitakahn!”
The prince woke up. But he was still standing on the road, and his eyes were open. Excelsior screamed out again, “Mitakahn!” The prince turned towards Excelsior. “It is not good to stare down the road at night. It quickly becomes a canvas for vivid imaginations.”
“I’m getting lost in my thoughts.”
“Thoughts about your father and the dreams?”
“Am I going crazy, Excelsior?”
“I think you were given a life that is by no means ordinary. So don’t be avoidant of the possibility that the extraordinary is far from over.”
“And if I’m ultimately making all this up, tricking even myself?”
“Then we take it from there. And perhaps think about reevaluating some things before our next adventure.”
“The first on that list being my sanity.”
“You are doing just fine, prince. Keep following your heart and reason will follow.”
“Reason used to be a lot easier for me.”
“It only gets harder. Life would be…boring any other way,” jested Excelsior.
“This is the farthest south I have ever gone without my father.”
“And the farthest south you have walked with your canine brother.”
“You don’t understand what I mean-“
“I do. And trust me in knowing that what you are thinking about, I can help you with. I can’t be your father. But I know you don’t want to be alone. You will never be alone. That is why we are here. You might have lost a father, but you have also gained six brothers.”
“I know, thank you.”
“We will be with you until the end, Mitakahn.” Excelsior put his arm around Mitakahn’s shoulders. The two walked back to the camp and got the fire started. “Our scouts have not arrived back yet?”
“I guess not. They must be giving Anilithion the advance tutorial.” Mitakahn joked.
Just then a familiar yelp is heard faintly by Excelsior. “I know that voice.” He quickly ran out into the fields of darkness. Mitakahn chased after him. “Go back, prince. Watch the camp. This is my concern.” But Mitakahn continued following Excelsior stubbornly.
The two approached the ridge and slowly climbed to the top. The clouds cleared in the sky and the moonlight stabbed through the rising dust over the ridge. Dirt kicked up from a fight. From something’s struggle. The lunar rays spread diagonally down above the crouched backs of Mitakahn and Excelsior now hiding in the shadow of the mound. As if they were spying on the moon.
More screams in the distance. The two broke the lines of light and darkness and raised their heads over the hill, peering at the other side. They found Bridger and Anilithion downing a beast. They walked up behind their comrades to get a better look.
“It is a wild hoggabor,” answered Bridger.
The five of them, Mitakahn, Anilithion, Bridger, Excelsior, and Orion return back to the camp, and they roasted the hog over the bonfire.
They ate well that night. Excelsior was glad of it. For he knew the road would be long and painstaking in the morning. The routine affected everyone’s spirits except Excelsior who lived for the wilderness. Three princes: Bridger, prince of the Stag Kingdom, Anilithion, prince of the Steed Kingdom, and Mitakahn, prince of the Lion Kingdom, were used to the luxuries of warm rooms and soft beds. Excelsior on the other hand was no prince and concordantly was very comfortable with his lifestyle as a vagabond.
They spent another night sitting around the fire. Mitakahn enjoyed the feeling of company during his travels, that lost sentiment of friendship. Life was getting better. His pain was easing with every new day. Mitakahn went to sleep with renewed spirits. He gave himself to the enchantment of dreams and fell into a deep slumber…
…”Falling in a dark sky. I feel helpless. The inevitable doom approaches. Above me, waving goodbye, the glowing moon. Still, I plummet. Still, I fall. My body hits the ground with a furious impact and yet I stand up from the crash. This must be a dream. Again, I realize I am inside my dream. Do I consciously live in two worlds now? Can it be more? This has only happened a couple of times, and those times have come to be crucial precursors. There has to be a reason behind such blatant warnings. Then I must follow my heart…and walk on.
Dark hills, resembling those of which my body sleeps right now. Brown grass cascading over a sullen horizon. The shining moon illuminates my path. Moving above me in the black night sky. There are no clouds. There are no stars. Just me and the moon. But I can feel another presence. A greater presence. One of danger. I look behind me. The thick dark atmosphere is swallowing the earth. The catastrophe is nipping at my heels. I run! I run to stay alive. I run, but I cannot run forever. And there is no help in sight. I stop, turn around, and confront the rolling force. It wipes out the ground beneath me. I stand firm in the wake. I stand on nothing. It is all around me. I reach for my sword but there is nothing there. No hope except one last lifeline…the moon. I feel its light upon me. I let the lunar rays cover me. The white beams pull me up from the black space. I rise in stellar gravity.
I am now on the moon and can no longer see the light. Now the black is everywhere. What can I do? It haunts my every move. It doesn’t matter if it's a dream or reality. I cannot escape it. What must I do? I close my eyes. Out from the other side of the moon crawl hideous monsters. Six arms, six swords, six eyes. Their crawl is like a constant stumble avalanching towards me. I reach for my weapon.
The blazon sword simmers in my grip.
I pull it from its sheath. The white sparks erupt off the glowing blade. It burns with the same light as the moon. The white light reflects off four beacons on the earth. It somehow looks familiar, is it another sign? Another means to the end? I spin myself around as the creatures come at me, holding my sword out in front of me. The knife cuts open the monsters and the fire spreads throughout their wounds. They are gutted and left lifelessly on the ground. I gather my energy and burn the fire in a mighty fury. It consumes the moon, and the light is born once again. Out from behind the earth comes the sun. I can see the beacons clearly now, they are four towers of a stone city. The darkness has fully retreated back into the shadows. And the floor of the earth has returned for me to freely walk on once again.
So, I return home. Home to where the sun rises. The floor of the earth stretches and bounces. It is daybreak, and I do not only believe in my dream. I push off the ground with my feet and rapidly rise into the air. I rise out of the sky and continue into the universe”…
● ● ●
Mitakahn opened his eyes, his pupils resembling the starless, cloudless universe he was escaping. He arose from his sleep and greeted the new day with a fresh morning breath. It was time to walk the road again. As the group packed up camp, Mitakahn told Excelsior about his most recent dream. He described the moon and the sword. But as he mentioned the beacons Excelsior interrupted him.
“I know what it is you saw,” he smiled.