Through the Kisandra Prism Page 17

  The Galla Quall motions Valus to him.

  ‘Centurion do not judge the Gols too harshly… they are naïve… gullible… as the Ida Jaade once were when dealing with the Dandy Indra.’ Zander knew from the skulls in the cave of Nemesis that the brains of the Gols were only half the size of those of the more astute Naribs.’

  Valus turns to the Gols,

  ‘I apologies…forgive my anger.’

  ‘Where is everyone…women and children?’ asks Zander,’

  ‘On the rocky side,’ answers the leader of the Naribs, struggling under the Ida Jaade’s foot and trying to bite the warrior’s leg,

  ‘they are working for us – you will never find them.’

  ‘Release all the Gols you have immediately.’ orders Zander. The three Naribs hiss defiantly, ‘never – never!’

  ‘Where do the Naribs live?’ asks Zander.

  The Gol Elder points to three dark mountains in the far distance.

  ‘The Naribs live in the end mountain, in rocky holes.’

  Zander communicates with the Galla Quall Time-ship, hidden under cloak high above them.

  The giant warship un-masks and shows its immense size. The whole group now stands in the imposing shadow of the Galla Quall War-hawk Time-ship – the most powerful and fastest battleship in the Antares Cluster.

  The primitive Gols and the grotesque Naribs watch open-mouthed as the two, orange-tailed Hydra torpedoes streak towards the two mountains next to Naribs’ mountain home.

  The two orange streaks of light are the only clue of the two Hydra torpedoes passage to their targets. Both mountains explode and crumble; such is the power of a Galla Quall, Hydra Torpedo. The two small sinister Naribs hiss at the Galla Quall with anger and fear.

  Their leader Nargg, climbs onto a prominent rock; aware that an Ida Jaade Tellium arrow was pointing at his back. Reaching the top, the leader of the Naribs filled the single lung in his cylindrical chest and let out what sounded like eerie wails that echoed and rebounded off the massive granite boulders. Within a dozen Terasil heartbeats, a large group of Gols both male, female and children appear over the rocky ridge and make their way down to the grassy valley, overjoyed at their sudden freedom.

  Zander the Galla Quall dismisses the three sinister Naribs with a wave of his three-digit tentacled hand; the Naribs leave quickly with many backward glances and threatening hisses.

  ‘How did the Naribs enslave you?’ Zander asks their leader.

  ‘I once led a group of warriors across the ridge into the land of the Naribs to find the rock that’s makes iron. When it became dark, we slept amongst the rocks. When we awoke we had Naribs clinging to our necks, they refused to leave. They promised us the secret of iron in return for work. When we tried to remove them they threatened to bite us – for Naribs belong to the ‘poison beings.’ They made us kill our cattle to feed them and fight the Nemesians.’

  ‘The Naribs will always remain a danger to your species,’ says Zander. You have seen how well the Naribs move over rocks but struggle on smooth surfaces. I also fear the Naribs are in the first stages of becoming parasitic… you are their future intended hosts. In time their attachment to you will become permanent!’

  ‘How will we protect ourselves?’ asks the horrified Gol Elder.

  ‘We will destroy the rock bridge with Hydra-cannon and will give you the knowledge to make iron. Your bows greatly out-range the Naribs’ spears. On no account destroy the barrier of short grass and sand between you and them. Post guards night and day. Did the Nemesians attack you before you became slaves of the Naribs?’

  ‘No, we were always on friendly terms with the three Nemesian hornet Queens before we were forced to protect the Naribs. Their workers used to collect pollen from our many orchards and feed from our hives. When their workers disappeared, the Queens used to frequent our orchards and groom each other and pick wild flowers to place in their hair. We left them alone – leaving meat as a gift for not harming us – for the three Queens only eat flesh!’

  ‘Then continue that practice…you will be safe… the Nemesians will prey on the Naribs…control their numbers. Also leave a wide band of short grassland around your villages… Remember stone walls will not keep the Naribs out.’

  ‘We are a poor people,’ exclaims the Elder of the Gols and have nothing of value to give you …’

  The Gol Elder is interrupted by loud shrieks high in the sky; all eyes turn upwards. Blodwyn could see a large flock of what looked like giant bats with long legs hanging down; they twirled and dived on two smaller, pale flying creatures – glimmering in the sunlight. Both creatures were indistinct in outline, looking like pulsing glitters of light.

  ‘Damned bat-winged Yarbies!’ exclaims Valus the Centurion, ‘attacking some unfortunates.’

  Zander the Galla Quall had the most efficient eyesight and soon recognized the victims of the Yarbies.

  ‘The Yarbies are attacking two beings of legend … beings that are in our ancient chronicles…beings not seen for a million Quilleian years… Calara-Shimmerings…the purest of the pure… one Shimmering is badly wounded. Centurion…intervene… engage the Yarbies…shoot to kill!’

  ‘Archers!’ orders Valus the Centurion, ‘prepare to salute the Yarbies with a volley of arrows.’

  Six Ida Jaade archers stand abreast, each attach a magazine of five Tellium arrows to their bows.

  ‘Fire!’ orders Valus.

  Thirty high velocity Tellium arrows climb swiftly skywards. A dozen Yarbies fall, spinning to the ground. The dead stay silent, the dying defiantly cursing the Ida Jaade; for that is the nature of the Bat-winged Yarbies. The wounded Yarbies are soon dispatched by the Ida Jaade using swift strokes from their short gladius swords.

  The remaining Yarbies cease their attack and gain height – suddenly they notice a Galla Quall is present; for their mistress – the Ora-Pellas, higher beings, look kindly on the delicate Galla Qualls. The two Calara Shimmerings are forced to land in an orchard, one supporting its wounded companion. Both delicate Shimmerings cower as the fierce looking Ida Jaade warriors rush towards them. In fear, they begin to shimmer again breaking up their outline, their only form of defense, for Shimmerings are gentle innocent beings. Seeing the Calara Shimmerings fear, the Ida Jaade stop and wait until the slower moving Galla Quall catches up.

  Blodwyn felt sorry for these two frail and helpless lovely beings, now huddled in fear. She noticed that only the small wings of these beings were feathered, covered with the smallest of feathers – hardly visible; they were of the purest white. The rest of their bodies were a delicate pale; apart from the wings they were frail, pretty humanoids, with perfect features and delicate bone structure. Blodwyn picked up a pure white feather from the grass. The pair of Shimmerings – a male and a female, were no more than three feet tall with slender, graceful bodies. They had the bluest of eyes.

  Green blood dripped down the wing of the male Shimmering which had placed itself between its female companion and the attacking Yarbies. Reaching the pair, the Galla Quall speaks in gentle tones.

  ‘Peace and friendship to your kind…my Ida Jaade and the Gols will not harm you…we Galla Qualls hold your species in the highest regard… you are part of a legend in our chronicles.’

  ‘Are you eaters of meat?’ asks the beautiful female Shimmering in a sweet nervous, delicate tone.

  ‘The Gols are vegetarians…my Ida Jaade are sea-weed eaters…and as you can see…we Galla Qualls don’t even posses a mouth.’ The female Shimmering giggles nervously. Blodwyn felt rather embarrassed; she was the only meat eater there and was presently in the process of digesting two pork pies. She quickly stepped behind an Ida Jaade warrior, just in case the two Calara Shimmerings could sense her carnivorous tastes!

  This information seemed to calm the two gentle beings. Zander slowly touches the injured and still bleeding wing of the male Shimmering, which cringes in fear.

  ‘If your wing is not tended…you may not fly again,’ warns the Galla Quall. Z
ander gently feels the wing with his delicate tentacle.

  ‘A Yarbie bite carries infection… the bone is fractured…your wound needs to be cleansed and healed.’

  Zander takes a small appliance from his robe; a blue light plays over the wound. The bleeding stops. ‘You must rest…the Gols will care for you…return to your home planet only at night using the light of stars to navigate by,’ advises Zander…, ‘Yarbies always roost at night.’

  A Gol female brings a bowl of milk and honey for the Shimmerings. The frail female Shimmering sniffs the bowl first and then tests the contents with a delicate tongue.

  ‘Honey nice…milk nice…Yarbies bad,’ whispers the Shimmering and begins to feed her injured companion.

  ‘Now,’ we must leave you and continue our Quest,’ says Zander.

  The male Calara Shimmering produces two, round exquisitely colored objects from its person and hands one each to the Quall and to the Gol female.

  ‘What beautiful precious stones,’ exclaims the Gol female.

  Zander examines his closely, ‘these are far more valuable and rarer than precious stones…they are the seed pods of the rare Tarmirian Paradise tree…also mentioned in our ancient chronicles!’

  ‘But there are no eyes to these seeds and they are as hard as stone,’ says the Gol female.

  ‘The pod of this seed is as hard as telium,’ answers the Galla Quall, ‘it is impossible to open… without damaging the precious seed within.’

  ‘Then how do we get the Paradise tree to grow?’ the Elder asks the Calara Shimmerings. ‘With love…tender care…and patience,’ answers the male Shimmering.

  ‘Thank you,’ says Zander, ‘legend has it the seed of the Paradise tree takes a thousand Quilleian years to grow!’

  ‘Then seek out the Worm-eaters,’ answers the male Shimmering, ‘but seek them with great caution… for they are of one mind… one purpose and one need.’

  ‘Do you know where the Worm-eaters dwell?’ asks Zander.

  ‘Look to the planet Signusgragg in the neutral zone… beyond the Third Quadrent, past Quintus-three in the Mira-six region; that is where the Worm-eaters dwell.’

  ‘May angels’ wings guide and protect you,’ says the lovely female Shimmering.

  Blodwyn felt this was a chance to also ask the Shimmerings a question.

  ‘Please tell me… when will the Alter Dom return?’

  The beautiful, delicate female Shimmering looked at her and smiled.

  ‘The ‘Second Coming’ will happen… till then we must try to survive anarchy and death.’

  The Galla Quall nods in agreement.

  ‘If your species are in danger you must seek out Quilla Prime,’ answers Zander…there you will find a prism gateway into True Arcadia…there are many beautiful and magical beings there who will accept your innocent presence … there you will find sanctuary till the ‘Second Coming.’

  Blodwyn felt privileged, she had been in True Arcadia, the Calara Shimmerings would be welcomed by the beings that dwelt there. She then watches the Gols gently carrying the two exhausted Shimmerings back to their village; she knew they would be well cared for.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The Worm Eaters of Signusgragg

  The Worm-Eaters of Signusgraag,

  do not advertise their presence with fluttering pennant or waving flag;

  but hide unseen in the tangled growth;

  tending their bone yard… beneath the dark towering leafy towers… hanging, festooned with trailing bowers.

  The Worm-Eaters are watchers and listeners who only observe; awaiting orders from an invisible master they never see;

  but faithfully serve.

  Back on the bridge of the Galla Quall Time-ship, Blodwyn watches and listens as Zander reports to Admiral Sebus – the wisest of the Galla Qualls, as he examines the beautiful seed.

  ‘So it has come to pass,’ says Sebus, ‘as written in our chronicles. We have found what we came here for…but still do not understand the secrets of our findings… the key to our quest. Plot a course to the Third Quadrent of the neutral zone…we must locate Signusgraag… the Worm-eaters have the secret to our survival. We must then conduct our final Time-speed trials… before we dare enter the distant past!’

  ‘To your stations,’ orders Zander.’

  Blodwyn returns to her quarters; she was hungry and felt rather guilty after eating a delicious home-made lamb pie in thick gravy. She then went to bed. The little Sisling was still in chrysalis.

  The Galla Quall Time-ship sped back through the Kisandra Wormhole to the third Quadrent to seek the planet Signusgragg: home of the much feared Worm-eaters.

  Blodwyn awoke with a start; she had only slept three weeks this time; again she checked her face in the mirror: just in case. Boochi the little Sisling was still in chrysalis – damn!

  ‘Fine bodyguard you turned out to be,’ says Blodwyn on her way to the bridge of the Time-ship. ‘I was nearly sucked dry by a giant horse-fly – and where were you?’

  On the bridge she heard Zander the Galla Quall Commander announce.

  ‘Admiral… we have located Signusgragg, home of the Worm-eaters! The planet is completely covered in greenery except for one big lake. There is also a large area of devastated forest to the south.’

  ‘Analyze,’ orders Admiral Sebus.

  ‘Devastation caused by a bombardment of proton torpedoes… the type the Jal Mar use in their warships.’

  ‘Let us hope the bombardment has not destroyed what we are seeking,’ Admiral Sebus answers.

  Blodwyn had changed into suitable attire and put on her rucksack filled with items she might need. The Admiral respected this practical and sensible young Terasil female; she had sabotaged, on her own initiative the Malis Afar’s plot to poison the lake – home of the Galla Qualls and Ida Jaade in Quilla Prime.

  ‘After we have found the Worm-eaters,’ says Sebus to Blodwyn, ‘we will conduct our last Time-speed trial. This is in order to test our thrusters at full warp…it is a dangerous period…we will leave you on the Tarus Tarm mountain range on Nexus nine… till we return…if we return.’

  ‘How will I get back to Earth?’ Blodwyn asks.

  ‘You will have a space-chariot…the Sisling should break cocoon by then…it will guide you back to Earth eventually.’

  Before she could speak, Admiral Sebus began giving out his orders.

  ‘Commander Galus will accompany me …the Ida Jaade escort will only carry swords. Centurion Marcus will carry a concealed proton laser …in case we meet other dangers. Commander Zander will monitor our movements on visual and give us over head protection.

  While the landing party made their preparations Blodwyn listens to the scanning information about the planet below.

  ‘The only movement on the ground is the gentle flow of sap in the vegetation and trees…not a single heart beat registers,’ reports Commander Zander. ‘The planet below,’ continues Zander, ‘has two suns…night never falls on Signusgragg…ideal for plant life… it is also rich in Xycon crystals.’

  ‘We should be cautious,’ says Commander Galus, ‘some force stops this planet from being exploited…Xycon is a very valuable commodity. We will conduct ourselves in the exact manner that we adopted when we first met the Jinnd.’

  The landing party boards the un-armed frigate. Blodwyn was relived to know the powerful Time-ship would give them protection from above in any emergency.’

  A Galla Quall frigate lands in a small, grassy glade. At first glance this planet seemed tranquil to Blodwyn: but that soon changed. Signusgragg was a planet of towering trees and thick creeper-bowers, interspersed with small overhung clearings. Blodwyn felt intimidated; it was as if all the plants were bending over…inspecting them! There was something scary about the shape and attitude of the towering trees and creepers: they had a foreboding presence. She felt as if she had entered someone’s property without an invitation. The usual natural earthy smell of a forest or wood was missing. A still silence prevailed.r />
  The group begins to follow a well worn path, between the towering, vine covered trees. All the vines produced massive clusters of beautiful pink and carmine-red flowers, with strange large dark purple centers: these were not flowers! High in the canopy, what looked like large yellow stamens hung in bunches. Strangely not a single bird or insect could be heard or seen – not even the slightest breeze whispered or stirred the leaves; “how did pollination take place?” Blodwyn wonders. Something or someone had to perform that function.

  A glittering lake could just be seen through the foliage. She noticed that narrow well-worn paths connected all the few small clearings between the massive trees; how could this be if the planet did not contain a single heart beat? What kind of beings used these paths: Could it be the Worm-eaters?

  An Ida Jaade scout sniffs the path.

  ‘I can not detect any life-form or animal scent-trail Admiral… yet the path is well used by some kind of active life-form.’

  Signusgraag, home of the Worm-eaters, was never visited by those who knew of its existence and reputation. Only the unwary, the curious the mercenary and the opportune landed here to exploit – possibly out of ignorant impulse. They never left! This planet hid a dark and terrifying secret. Landing parties and those who came to look for them did not return to their mother ships. Even the treacherous, bold, wandering Bat-winged Yarbies had good reason to keep away. These scavengers knew the dangers from past experience, when they roosted in the vine-covered trees in their hundreds – few survived!

  Still none of the survivors could describe the appearance of a Worm-eater. The Worm-eaters always remained hidden despite many efforts to coax and tempt them into the open.

  Blodwyn found the still air fragrant; however she could feel a sense of apprehension hanging heavily like some invisible drape. The atmosphere was extremely humid; in a short while she had already drained her bottle of water. Sebus was cautious, he stops.

  ‘We will show our friendly intentions…I am positive we are being observed in some way.’