Qalhata: Last of Her Kind

Under the eve of the orange moon, the winged queen of death will give birth to hope. Unto the chosen tribe a prophet will be born ushering in the age of the last Trinity. ~Excerpt from the lost scrolls of Darius

73 years before the arrival of the Brothers Trinity

A hypnotic energy pulls at the cloaked stranger as they made their way through the Forrest of the Forgotten. The purple moon casts strange images across the forest floor as the wind and hollowed trees conducted their dark minor symphony on the chilled night air. Approaching the cave after what seemed like hours the cloaked figure inhaled deeply before being consumed by the mouth of the cave.

Deep within the labyrinth of tunnels he waits. General Zagan, leader of the Kumos army and most trusted advisor to the Kumos King. The General toyed with the forearm of a solider he had killed. Using the end of the bone to clean his teeth before discarding it into the nearest pile of skeletons that lined his liar. As the General yawns his mouth opened to revile a set of large mandibles that shined with a greenish tint from the poison that dripped from them. Unfolding his body General Zagan eight appendages filled the large room. Being one of the larges Kumos his size rivaled that of the King. His large muscular spider body a force of distorted nature.

With his finely tuned senses not only did the General hear the stranger enter his liar but could taste, and smell them as well. Fear has a very unique scent.

“I have brought what you have asked for, The location of the girl. The one found in the woods as a babe, kissed by Dragon’s breath.” Stated the cloaked figure falling to their knees, head bowed, as they lifted a letter up to the general with both hands.

“Breath my child,” The general toyed. “You have nothing to fear. If your life was in danger, you would have been eaten by one of the millions of Kumos that saw you traversing this cave dwelling. It is I who allow you safe passage.” The General using one of his legs to brush the hood of the stranger’s face. The general’s sensitive legs could feel the stranger shaking, could sense the heart beat as it raced, sending warm blood throughout the stranger’s body, the thought makes the general’s mouth water.

“I trust you will keep your word. This ends in three nights.” Stated the stranger as they gathered themselves and rushed out of the hall.

“Yes, yes this ends in three nights.” Laughed the general as he crushed the letter containing the name and location of the thing his master treasured most. A Watcher that could see the future.

*********************

“Kassandra! Kassandra!” yelled Nikolai as he chased after his daughter laughing. Taking a moment Nikolai realized he had not laughed in a long time, there wasn’t much to laugh about. His people had been hunted down by King Solomon’s order. The butcher king as some called him. Many years ago King Solomon had declared that all Watchers be hunted down. Stating that if the darkness every gain control of the watcher’s power it would be unstoppable.

“Genocide.” Said a voice behind Nikolai.

“What? What have I told you about using your watcher’s gaze on me Beltoi.” Stated Nikolai as he embraced his old friend.

“King Solomon only wanted to protect the people, he became infected with the darkness and it messed with his mind.” Said Nikolai.

“King Solomon, only wanted to protect himself and his family, he betrayed us all, least we forget it was the Watchers who help hide his family during the Great War!” yelled Beltoi firmly.

“Let’s not talk of the old times. Your anger is energy wasted. If you were truly angry with me you would not have accompanied me and my family to Capitol City.” Said Nikolai giving his friend a backwards glance as he smiled.

With a playful shove Beltoi falls in tow behind Nikolai “I agreed to accompany you because I have seen you in a fight, trust me you need all the help you can get.”

“Oh and what am I, just the maid?” stated a voice emerging from beyond the trees.

“Lady Renice, I mean no disrespect, I know you can take care of yourself, I still have the scars from boarding school to prove it.” Beltoi stated rubbing his shoulder.

“My Love, have you made up with Kassandra?” asked Nikolai as he embraced his wife.

Sadness sweeps across Renice’s face as she pulled away from her husband. “No for a five-year-old she is very stubborn; I don’t know what it is but for the past three days Kassandra has not said a word.

“She is your daughter; she gets the stubbornness from your side of the family. Maybe you were too hard on her about her dreams, my dear.” Stated Nikolai lovingly.

“We are not among our people, our people barely exist anymore, she cannot be going up to stranger and talking about her visions.” Renice exclaimed with a low tone as she scanned the forest.

“Renice is right, we are strangers on the Barrier of Briohartus, the less people know the better, we are in the heart of King’s Solomon’s territory.” Stated Beltoi as he grabbed a nearby stick and poked the ground nervily.

“Renice, I understand your concern, but I will not raise our daughter to be ashamed of who she is or fear the unknown. Just the other night Kassandra told me about a beautiful dream she had about a Quadhocorn, the grand dragons of legends, a dragon that breath fire the color of rainbows. That set a forest of trees a blaze.” Nikolai laughed at the thought but then turned and faced Beltoi with a serious tone in his voice.

“Beltoi I will remind you that although you are my closest friend and if it was not for you Renice and I would have never met, that this is my family. I don’t ask you to come you chose to come.” Nikolai stated his olive-colored skin turning reddish to match his freckles.

“Nikolai, I love you but you will never understand. You understand the pain of being a Watcher but me and Kassandra, we are more than that. I am half Hatigian, my people were enslaved and beaten their magic, their Allure ripped from their bodies. Yes, your skin is tinned but Watchers can take concealer herbs and in moments your skin looks like any other noble. For me and Kassandra we could never pass…” Renice collapses into her husband’s arms as she fought back tears of rage.

“Stop it, I would never let anything happen to you or Renice you are my world. Stop, don’t cry…” stated Nikolai but before he can finish comforting his wife a child’s scream is heard in the distance.

“Kassandra!” yelled Nikolai as he and Beltoi tore through the forest swords drawn. Renice ran through the forest after her husband as the hollowed trees pulled at her dress as if to hold her back. Out of breath and hair in shambles Renice approaches her husband as he and Beltoi tower above the five-year-old girl who is pointed at something in front of her. Renice looks up and above the tree lines but doesn’t see anything before looking back down at her daughter. Over Kassandra’s shoulder a large blue colored bird can be seen. Just a few feet away a snake lays dead, its head had been trampled. As the Three adults look up and through a small clearing a beautiful white horse with three horns can be seen in the distance before disappearing in the light.

Nikolai scoops up his daughter and gives her the tightest hug. Renice embraces her daughter and husband. Nikolai can’t help but notice that his daughter still has not said a word to her mother.

***

After the excitement of the day, the four travelers find an abandon cabin where they take refuge for the night.

“We are less than a days travel from Capital City, I feel we should have keep going.” Stated Beltoi. Looking out the window.

“Are you expecting someone?” asked Nikolai, for the pass few nights you have been acting rather stranger. Ever since we first came to the Barrier of Briohartus where did you disappear to the first night? I didn’t see you until the next morning.” Asked Nikolai as his eyes scanned Beltoi and then to his sword on the other side of the cabin, he could easily reach it before Beltoi had time to react.

Renice cleared her throat as she stood up and tended to the fire and removed the empty bowls that were once filled with stew from the broken table. “Who do you think lived here?” she asked to break the tension in the room.

Giving Beltoi one last look over Nikolai turned to his wife. “That’s an easy question let’s find out.” Removing his glove Nikolai touched the wall of the cabin. And within seconds the cabin exploded to life. There was a husband and a wife with three children. The fire warmed the room and the scent of sweet spices filled the air. Joy could be felt through the memory. Beltoi and Renice look around as the memory played like it was actually happening. With a turn of his hand Nikolai speed the memory up.

“It seems this house belonged to a Tricorn farmer maybe the Tricorn we saw in the forest today belonged to him.” Said Nikolai.

“Oh no.” said Renice as she saw the farmer surrounded by his family. He was ill and laying in his bed. With one more twice of his hand Renice now saw the wife of the farmer dressed in black behind the cabin standing over the grave.

“Stop, enough!” stated Renice waving her hands.

Beltoi ran to Renice side. “Are you ok?”

“Yes I’m fine.” Said Renice.

“Yes she is fine.” said Nikolai sharply as he stood between his wife and his friend.

“Well, I need to head out, someone should keep watch.” Stated Beltoi turning towards the door. Nikolai grabbed his friend’s hand.

“Keep watch, why tonight, we have never had to keep watch?” asked Nikolai.

“I have heard stories about these woods people disappear and are never seen again. The closer we get to Capitol City the dangerous our mission becomes. Now if you don’t mind.” Beltoi jerks his arm from Nikolai and is out of the door before anyone can say a word.

“Renice, gather our things we are leaving.” States Nikolai.

“What are you talking about?” stated Renice.

“I think Beltoi is going to betray us, when I used the watcher’s gaze I felt something, there was something being held back he didn’t completely open his mind to me.” Said Nikolai as he quickly through items into his bag.

“Nikolai you are being ridiculous and on top of that you are scaring our daughter.” Stated Renice as she pointed to Kassandra. In that moment Nikolai took a breath and placed his bag on the broken table and made his way over to his daughter who was drawing in her notebook.

Nikolai picked up the notebook and looked at the picture, it was of the large blue bird with its neck twisted at an odd angle.

“Kassandra did you just draw this?” asked Nikolai as he took his daughter’s hand and let her feel the picture.

“No daddy, I drew it a while ago.” Stated Kassandra as Nikolai wiped a tear from his eyes. It was always hard looking at his daughter as he stared into her glossed over eyes. The Great Mother had blessed her with two sights as she had blessed all Watchers. But for Kassandra she could see the Past and Future, but not the present. Kassandra shortly after her birth was found outside her house with a large creature standing over her, its breath smelled of smoke and flames. It was Nikolai that rushed to his daughter but before he could make it to her the creature took to the sky and Nikolai scooped up his daughter just in time to see the light fade from her eyes. He only told his wife about the events of that night. The young couple would painfully lie and tell everyone that she had been born blind. For if they told the truth, that their daughter had been kissed by dragons. She would have been killed, for a baby born among dragons was seen as an omen thousands of years ago in the time of Darius son of the Great Mother. Since that time dragons had faded to fables and oldwives tales but Nikolai knew what he saw that night.

Nikolai continue to flip through his daughter’s notebook looking at events that were destined to happen. The death of the large blue bird, there was a drawing of what looked like a Hatigian boy in a green cloak covered in vines with a dagger through the heart, there was a drawing of a large golden castle in ruins with a dark cloud above it. What Nikolai saw next made his heart stop.

The next picture took up two pages. He saw himself with a large claw through his chest. He saw Renice in the garden behind the cabin with a large portion of wood embedded in her.

Nikolai threw the book to the ground and grabbed his daughter. “Renice, we are leaving now!” shouted Nikolai as the front door busted open and Beltoi stumbled in.

Beltoi drew his sword and charged towards the family but Nikolai grabbed a knife from the table and stabbed his friend through the heart.

“How could you I trusted you!” shouted Nikolai as Beltoi collapsed in his arms.

“Behind you.” Beltoi spurted with his last breath as he pushed Nikolai to the side as Renice using Nikolai’s sword driving it straight through Beltoi.

“Renice, what are you doing?” yelled Nikolai as he fell to the ground and clutched his daughter who was now in tears. The sword now impelled in Beltoi barely missing Nikolai as blood poured from his shoulder where he was grazed.

The cabin shook as the sound of a thousand legs could be heard. Large spiderlike creature tore at the cabin roof, ripping it off as the Kumos large heads peered down on the bloody scene.

Through what was left of the front door a tall muscular half-human half spider walked in with a grin on his face.

“Yes, I knew I would hear that sweet music once again, that heartbeat full of fear. The one who gave me the location of the watcher girl, it was you.” Stated General Zagan as he pointed at Renice.

“Renice why” asked Nikolai.

“He said he would let us live, all he wanted was the girl. That Thing!”

“Renice!” yelled Nikolai.

No my daughter is dead! You never wanted to see it, but she had been touched by dragons, it’s an omen. Her life for ours is a small price to pay!” yelled Renice.

“How could you, you are her mother you are suppose to keep her safe!” yelled Nikolai.

As shame sweeps Renice face, she looks over and draws the sword from Beltoi chest. Looking back at her husband and daughter, tears filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think I had a choice.” Cried Renice as she charged the General. Without the slightest effort the General uses one of his legs to swat Renice away sending her through the back wall into the garden behind the house where her body laid motionless.

“Now that we got that out of the way I will be taking the girl.” Stated the General.

“You will not take anything this night!” yelled Nikolai as he held up both hands. Nikolai gasped for air but he could never seem to catch his breath. Looking down he could see the large bone claw sticking through his stomach. Nikolai looked back at his daughter and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I Love you.” Stated Nikolai as a tear fell from his eye.

General Zagan made his way over to Kassandra and pick-up the small girl. He could see his reflection in her glazed eyes. With one bite he had ended her. General Zagan smiled from ear to ear. He had completed his master’s will.

Nikolai held his daughter tightly as he looked on in horror as General Zagan and his Kumos army ate what they thought were the remains of their victims.

Nikolai winced as he used one hand to cover his abdomen and the other hand, he kept held up to maintain the Watcher’s Gaze. It was a technic he had learned long ago. It was true General Zagan had stabbed him in the abdomen, but everything after that was an implanted false reality that Nikolai forced on the General and his minions.

“Daddy, I’m Scared.” Stated Kassandra.

“Little girl don’t be, everything will be ok, I have a gift for you.” Said Nikolai as he reached into his pocket and held out a tiny horn.

“You see Kassandra, there is something that I never told you or your mother. The night you were born, you never cried, and I watch you take your first and last breath. We wait but your heart beat faded, your breaths slowed, It was as if time itself slowed down and then stopped. The silence from your small body filled the room. It took everything in me to take your body out into the forest, and there I left you. If it wasn’t for the glowing light I would have never turned back. That night I found you in the forest, after the creature flew away. I found this next to you.” Nikolai handed the tiny horn to Kassandra.

“Anytime I have ever worried about you, or I fear for your safety. I squeeze that horn. Just like earlier today with the bird and the snake. I heard your scream and I squeezed that horn so tight. Nikolai stated between breaths as he embraced his daughter. I believe the creature that stood over you the night of your birth not only breath life into you but was also meant to be your guardian. Most would see your blindness as a curse but I see it as a gift. One distraction taken away so the secrets of the universe can be that much more open up to you. You will be the best of us.”

Nikolai could see that the fake reality started to glitch and fade in sync with his own slowing heart beat. Soon the Kumos would realize it was a trick.

“Hey, baby girl, I need you to listen to me, I need you to run.” Nikolai said with one hand facing the Kumos and the other firmly on Kassandra’s shoulder. A smile to mask his sadness, a grin to hide the pain.

“You are the hope for the future, one day you will be the most powerful Watcher who ever lived. The friends you make will change the world.”

“What trickery is this!” yelled the General as the false reality faded. Nikolai pushed his daughter out of the open hole in the wall as the General claw ripped through his chest.

Kassandra fell out of the hole into the cold mud cover ground. Standing up she begin to run, all her life she had been surrounded by darkness but she had never feared it. Tonight, was different as she heard the many legs running behind her, around her, above her. She squeezed the tiny gift from her father and that is when she heard it. A gentle neighing in front of her. She reached out and with her hands she felt it. The softness of a creature, the same creature that had saved her earlier that day, the Tricorn.

“Child quickly place the horn on my head.” Stated the creature. With shaking hands Kassandra place the horn above the other three.

“Please help me, my father and mother are dead, I have no one else.” Screamed Kassandra.

“Fear not child for you see we have saved each other.” Stated the creature. Kassandra felt the creature begin to grown and the soft hair of the creature begin to change into scales.

“Oh, look a Quadhocorn, I thought you all had died out.” Stated the General with his army of Kumos behind him blocking any path of escape.

“Silence, you fool!” boomed the voice of a goddess. Kassandra felt herself being lifted high into the air as she was gently placed on the back of the now Dragon that stood in the forest.

“I am Qalhata, Queen of the Quadhocorn, I am the last of my kind and you will respect that which I am.

“You are nothing but…” before General Zagan could finish Qalhata unfurled her large wings and took to the air breaking trees and sending Kumos spinning in the wind as the General dug his claws into the earth.

Kassandra felt the massive body of Qalhata begin to warm around her and as Qalhata lifted her head to the sky she released a fury of fire in a rainbow of colors down on the forest. Kassandra gasped in amazement as she felt the forest light up in bright purples and blues, greens, and red, yellows, and oranges. Tears flooded the face of the small girl as she could hear the screams of the Kumos spiders.

“Is it over.” Kassandra asked as the dragon lifted her higher and higher into the night sky.

“My young lamb your story is just beginning. You have much to learn and I promise to protect you all my days. By giving me back my fourth horn you have given me back my full identity. I am now one with water, earth, wind, and fire. So, as you have made me whole, I take you now to a place that can do the same for you. With a surge of wind and a powerful kick of her wings Qalhata and Kassandra disappear into the night sky and into legend.