Kahira's Destiny

  Tanka could graze on the grasses and flowers. He could hunt meat for his meal. He could go to the pond whenever he wanted fresh water. There was plenty of shade for him to sleep in.

  When they moved on, all Kahira had to do was put away the hut and climb onto his back. Tanka had gotten so immense; her weight was nothing for him to carry. She loved to feel the wind through her hair, smelling the wonderful fresh air flying past her nostrils!

  Chapter 22

  Each time they stopped for the night, Kahira put as much away as she could from the main room floor. Finally, everything had its place in the hut! It felt so much like a real home.

  Kahira finally figured out what the toilet was for and how to use it but was still in awe when she did. Learning to cook on the cooking box in the kitchen, she realized it was much easier than using an open fire on the ground.

  She loved to soak in the tub, washing herself and her hair every day. It relaxed her, making her feel better. Kahira had been trying on different clothes in the closet, a new outfit every day as she decided what to wear when traveling.

  But her favorite time was when she was climbing into her big, soft bed. Kahira could see the two moons out of the window in her room. The soft breeze entering would make her hair move gently while she fell asleep.

  The day arrived when Tanka finally crossed out of the forest onto a wide expanse of flat ground! They walked all day finding no trees, green grasses or flowers. Nothing. Tanka plodded on.

  Kahira looked around her in the vastness, trying to see anything they would know or anyplace they could go. Toward the end of the day, she noticed a mountain all alone on the landscape to her right. “Tanka,” she began, “Let us go there and check it out. If nothing else, maybe we can find some grasses or game for food.”

  “I hope so. The day has been long! I am hungry and tired.” Tanka changed course.

  Coming to the mountain, there were grasses that were still slightly green. Kahira dismounted, letting Tanka eat what he could. They were beside a bush when she saw movement behind it. Curiously, Kahira moved the bush. A small animal jump into a big hole in the mountain!

  Kahira stepped behind the bush, finding it was easy for her to enter, even for Tanka! They walked into the hole, seeing they were in a large cave! With speed that belied his large bulk, Tanka dashed to grab the animal in his teeth, eating it right there. He felt much better now!

  There was a pool of water full of fish; Kahira clapped her hands. She would have fish to fill her belly this day! She set up the hut next to the pool. Walking into the water, she brought out four nice-sized fish. She carried them into the kitchen to be cleaned, cooked and eaten.

  Kahira bathed, going to bed early as she was tired. Tanka was already asleep beside the pool. Waking up later, she dressed. She silently left the hut to explore the cave. Tanka

  was still sleeping so she was quiet, making no noise.

  There were a few glowing crystals here and there around the cave. There really was not much to see. Kahira was a bit disappointed. But as she walked to the rear of the cave, she noticed another opening like the one they had walked through into this cave.

  It was glowing with a luminescent light. Kahira thought it was probably just another cave like this one with a few glowing crystals in it. She walked through the entrance into the next cave. It was colossal!

  The lake was so grand she could not see the other side of it! The same for the walls; they were far apart and far away. Kahira could not see the dimensions of the cavern.

  There were stalactites and stalagmites made of metal with shiny, glossy material. Each ended with a glowing crystal which lit the cavern up. In the middle of the room were two tables. One was short and round while the other was tall and slender. The short table had a large, round blue crystal lying in a hole in the center of the table. The bigger table had a crystal shaped like a flame that was reddish yellow lying in a hole in its center.

  The entire place felt like an ancient, outer-worldly place. Kahira noticed that in the right corner of the cave, there were no stalactites, stalagmites, tables or crystals seen. It was pitch black. The overall effect of the cavern was incredible.

  As she checked the place out with awe, Tanka came into the cavern behind her. The lake was clear, smooth as glass. They could see the bottom, noting there were no fish in it. The lake had several cave-like openings on its floor.

  Kahira definitely had a strange feeling from this place. It could have been here for eternity or from the time Edla first became the mother. Its age seemed eternal and it was simply magnificent.

  “Tanka, would you carry me to the far right wall back there? It is different from the rest of the cavern. I would like to check it out.”

  “Climb on, Kahira. Let us go!”

  When they reached the corner, she pulled out her pebble. It shined a faint blue light in the dark area. There was something she could not identify in the middle of the area so she began walking toward it.

  Stopping beside it, Kahira saw what looked like a giant bird’s nest. Inside there was a single egg but one different than any others! The egg was as large as her fist!

  Chapter 23

  The shell was made of something unlike a bird’s eggshell. It was very shiny, glistening. Not knowing what else to do but feeling an odd pull to the egg, Kahira picked it up, putting it in a pocket of her outfit.

  Climbing on Tanka’s neck again, they galloped back to the hut. Kahira went inside, carefully laying the egg on her bed. She piled blankets and pillows around it to assure its safety.

  Tanka was acting skittish, saying, “Kahira, I hear strange sounds coming from the other cave. I do not like the way it makes me feel. Please, let’s get out of here.” As he finished speaking, she knew what he was talking about. She felt the same as he did.

  All hell broke loose from the second cavern’s opening. Humanoid beings Kahira had never seen were rushing at them through the opening! More and more kept coming.

  Racing back into the hut, Kahira grabbed her bow and arrows, shoving her knife into its sheath. She put her big axe into its loop. As she grabbed her spear, she jumped out of the hut, quickly putting it away in the stone.

  The sight she witnessed was horrifying! These creatures had bony fish heads with five long, pointed bone spikes running around the outsides of their heads. What looked like leather webbing attached each to the next.

  Red lines ran up the face from the chin, straight out to the tip of each pointed bone spike. Grey skin melted into the red stripes. The mouths were long, extending out with fish lips.

  Beside each side of the mouth was a stinger; it grew curling around the front of the mouth.

  The noses were just two large holes. The red eyes looked exactly like protruding fish eyes with eyelids. These fish-like beings were definitely warriors. Females wore only silver; males wore only gold. They all wore the same things.

  The fish warriors wore heavy metal necklaces. They had metal arm bands around their upper arms with heavy round blades protecting their shoulders. Tiny, thick round earrings were placed in holes drilled through their head spikes.

  Round armlets were worn above the elbow with wristlets below. On each thigh was what looked like a thick metal clamp. The beings wore ankle bracelets. Each wore a thick metal waistband with a dark green loincloth hanging down to their thighs.

  Their bodies were humanoid, except they all looked too skinny. All the bones showed under the skin which Kahira could almost see through, especially in the neck. A thick metal spear was held in a webbed two-fingered hand. A metal shield was held at the shoulder.

  The creatures walked on the tips of their two webbed toes. They were tall, seven feet at least, frightening to look upon. And they were charging right at Tanka and Kahira!

  Kahira dropped her weapons on the ground close to her. With her bow and arrows, she aimed at the first fish man running towards her. The arrow went right through his eye. He fell, not getting up. Kahira grabbed another arrow. Aiming, she shot it through
the neck of the next warrior.

  Meanwhile, Tanka had charged! He was running them down under his gigantic hooves, all the while biting and butting others with his head. Fish beings were falling many at a time under his brutal attack.

  The attackers far in the back tried to use their spears. They never stood a chance. As Kahira’s arrows reached the back of the group, one after another fell and did not get up.

  Gathering her weapons, she called Tanka to her.

  Kahira grabbed the long hairs on his hide, climbing onto his neck. When she got there, she let out her war yell! Tanka ran out of the cave opening, running west. Kahira whispered, “I think they will not chase us now. Slow down. Stop when you can.”

  Tanka, who was exhausted at that point, looked around until he found a stream, stopping to drink from it. Kahira jumped down, drinking too. She checked them out. Finding their injuries were insignificant, she let out a sigh of relief.

  Kahira put up the hut, dragging her weapons inside. After taking a bath, she ate quickly; all she wanted to do was sleep. Going to bed, Kahira realized she had forgotten all about the egg there.

  Wrapping it in a blanket, Kahira made a dent in the middle of the other pillow, carefully placing the egg in it. Sliding under the covers, turning her back to it, she fell instantly asleep.

  When Kahira awoke the next morning, she was facing the egg. She noticed the blanket looked different. Kahira saw the eggshell was broken in half!

  The two halves were empty on top of the blanket. Wondering what happened to make the eggshell break, she felt small prickles at the tip of her first finger. Looking at her finger, she opened her eyes wide!

  Chapter 24

  There, sitting on her fingernail with a little tail looped around her finger and tiny claws grasping her finger to help keep it from falling, was a most precious creature! Kahira knew it was a dragon (zuzeca) just from looking at it. She could see it was a female.

  It was stunning! The body’s underside was ribbed with fragile bone covered with minuscule scales. Its two front legs were used as arms to hold with; the two back legs were used as legs to stand.

  Four miniature paws with three “fingers” each were hands and feet, but instead of fingers and toes, they ended in miniature claws. All four appendages were bright red with black tiger stripes across the ankles and thighs.

  The tail was long, slender. From the top of its head over its back, neck and tail were small triangular scales. The undersides of the wings were leather-like, so thin Kahira could almost see through them. The tops of the wings were radiant, made of the softest rows of feathers, one row on top of the next until the last row was the longest of the feathers.

  The wings looked like rainbows. Where they lay against its body, they were bright red with gold runes on them. They went from red to gold to white with black runes in the white feathers. A thin black line moved across each wing feather where the white began. The white feathers ended in black, sharp tipped points.

  The head was pear-shaped, the chin being the smaller part of the pear. Two small snake-like horns exited the forehead above the eyes, the tips being very sharp. They were red against the forehead; they went from bright red to gold; a red ring, a gold ring with pointed bright red tips.

  Its eyes were magical! The eyes lit up like red rubies. Two little puffs of smoke were released from the nose as it sneezed. The face and body were completely bright red. It was a most magnificent creature!

  Kahira was almost afraid to touch the fragile baby dragon. She put the tip of a finger to the creature’s head, touching its crown, moving the finger down, petting it.

  There was a jolt in Kahira’s head. Shaking it, she looked at the baby dragon. She heard a little squeak, a sneeze with two puffs of smoke coming out of the nose, then... She understood the dragon! She could mind-talk with it just like she did with Tanka!

  Petting it, Kahira told the baby not to worry because she would always be there to take care of it. After consideration, Kahira named it Pheta (meaning courage). She got out of bed, still petting Pheta. She took her outside to meet Tanka.

  Pheta ate a lot of food! She was always hungry, devouring whatever was offered to her. She grew at an accelerated rate; now, Kahira had to hold Pheta in her arms against her body.

  Every day the baby dragon got lovelier. She was sweet, good-hearted. Both Tanka and Kahira loved her more each day.

  The trio continued moving west, angling a bit north. They saw nobody; nothing of consequence happened for days. They took it easy as Tanka walked with Kahira on his back. Pheta rode in Kahira’s arms. They bonded one to the other, becoming a happy little family.

  Stopping where grasses started growing green again, Tanka ate fresh grasses, catching his own prey. Kahira found small animals for food, making good meals in the hut’s kitchen.

  Pheta loved to chase her own meals. She ate grass mice and other small animals of these new plains. The more she ate, the quicker she grew; the quicker she grew, the more she ate.

  Every evening at dusk, the three would set up camp and eat. Kahira bathed after her meal. All three would go to sleep. Every night, Pheta slept with Kahira. When she was small, Pheta snuggled up under the covers in the crook of Kahira’s arm. As she grew, Pheta slept at the bottom of Kahira’s bed wrapped around herself like a large cat. She was never far from Kahira.

  Chapter 25

  The trio found a fresh water lake, immediate setting up camp there. They decided to stay for a few days. Kahira put the hut in a tree. A large low branch, big enough to sit on, was outside the hut. Of course, Pheta sat with Kahira. Tanka was running down his meal.

  Kahira decided to teach Pheta to fly! Talking calmly, reassuring her, Kahira explained what she wanted Pheta to do. Just step off the branch with her wings spread, flapping them as she left the branch.

  On Pheta’s first attempt, she fell to the ground but was not hurt. Kahira made sure the branch was not so high off the ground to cause injury if she fell. Coming back to the branch, Pheta tried again.

  Although she got farther than the first time, she still fell. Kahira was encouraging her, telling her she could do it. For a third time, Pheta left the large branch with her wings spread.

  This time she did not fall. This time she began to soar up in the air, instinctively allowing her wings to spread! Gliding in the wind drafts, she used her wings, beating them high above her head to low under her body. Pheta could fly!

  Pheta went wherever she wanted to go in the sky; up, down, in a spiral or just letting the wind take her where it would. She began to fly above Kahira’s head when the other two walked, still not wanting to be far from her.

  She found how much easier it was to hunt from the sky, using sharp vision from her ruby eyes. Pheta could swoop down to catch an animal in her mouth or claws in just a moment’s time. She became a good hunter, like Kahira and Tanka.

  Pheta soon grew too large to enter the hut. She slept on the ground, either beside Tanka or under the hut. Rarely, she found caves to sleep in... But she was always back early the next morning, ready to travel close to Kahira.

  The three of them found a path going the same direction as they were. They decided to follow it. It meandered through the forest. On the other side of the forest, to their surprise, they came upon a small, odd-looking village.

  The huts looked like overgrown seed pods! They were tall enough where Kahira could stand beside the ‘doors’ without having to bend over. The leaves at the bottom lay spread so that each led to a door in the bottom of the pod.

  Being basically a round structure, the doors ran around the entire pod. They looked like poppy pods, a beautiful burgundy color. There were perhaps ten or twelve pods in the small village. The pods sat in a circle around a huge fire pit. No humanoids were seen anywhere. Beside the pod village, there was a lake beckoning them to drink their fill.

  Pheta descended. They all made their way to the lake out of the trees. The water tasted deliciously cold! It had been awhile since they had had anything to d
rink! They drank appreciatively until their thirsts were quenched.

  Kahira stood, turning towards the pod village again. She was surprised to see a humanoid standing close by, studying them carefully. She moved slowly towards it, holding her hand palm up, placing it on her other arm, signaling peace. This plant-like humanoid was strange-looking!

  Chapter 26

  It had a sensual, constantly moving body. Its velvety skin was such a pale green, it almost glowed white. The figure was covered by a sheer toga strapped over one shoulder. The filmy, ever shifting material glittered spectacularly as hundreds of lightning bugs held to the toga.

  Pale green skin was mesmerizing, daring one to touch it to see if it was really that silky. It had long, slender arms and legs. They looked muscular but on closer inspection, Kahira realized the muscles were vines of dark green. They encircled each appendage, around the long, slender neck making it look strong and thickly corded with muscle.

  All over these vines grew natural defensive weapons; thorns. The vines got thinner, smaller as they grew down around arms and hands, ending in tiny, vine-like fingers. The fingers rippled gently in the air as the breeze teased them along.

  Two root-like feet emerged at the bottom of the legs, glowing light brown. The feet were strong, moving gracefully along the ground. They also were natural defensive weapons, growing thorns.

  The long flowing hair was darker green. It was plaited into a braid that fell to the ground. It was full of beautiful red leaves of fall. Blooming flowers covered it, peeking through the braided strands.

  The flowers on its head grew in the shape of a tiara but instead of metal, it was made from flowers like small cherry blossoms, rose colors blending into whites. On each side of the head, near the ears, grew an antenna through which it communicated with others.

  Its face was charming, glowing greenish-white. The large eyes were like pumpkin seeds; instead of “whites” they were pink. The orange cat-like eyes had eyelashes and eyebrows of long, sweeping yellow grasses.

  Its slender ears were long, looking like greenish white leaves. There didn’t seem to be a nose; the mouth was long with poutish pink lips. When it smiled, there did not seem to be any teeth. Altogether, it was a truly exotic plant being!