Jalia on the Road (Jalia - World of Jalon) (19 page)

Return to the Road

When Daniel followed Jalia up into the hills

He cursed her lack of judgment with a frown

Didn't she know how dangerous these places were?

Far from the law or the nearest town

By the time he caught up with the giants

It was more than curses at her he sought

She just should have more common sense

Why was her life so fraught!

It didn't surprise him when the giants left

Without freeing her from her stone cage

He had been sitting with magic dagger in hand

Ready to fight if they attacked her in a rage

He felt foolish when they left her caged

His dagger would have been little good in a fight

With two full grown angry intelligent giants

He would have been dead that very night

So when he went to Jalia he was boiling with anger

At this mess she had got herself in

Seeing her naked and yet so proud

Made him want to punish her more for her sin

So he asked her to apologize, knowing she wouldn't

Then appeared to leave for the night

He spent the night only feet from the side of her cage

Jumped up at her every little fright

That morning he knew that he'd gone far too far

He could see how distraught she'd become

He released her quickly as she mumbled an apology

And quickly to her clothes she had run

He never heard what she said, he was worrying

About whether again they could be friends

When his legs failed him, with bones sticking out

Flesh torn and sticking to the ends

The pain was horrendous, the shock made him dizzy

He could see arterial blood squirting free

He knew he had only seconds to staunch that flow

Before unconsciousness and death came to be

He used finger and thumb to stop the flow

Sticking them deep into the torn flesh of his leg

But he'd lost too much blood and his strength failed him

No time left to pray for salvation or beg

As the world vanished around him in darkness

Suddenly the fairy princess's voice he heard clear

He felt himself lifted gently into the air

His legs straightening, he felt only fear

"Daniel we owe you so very much

We have given you the finest gift that we could

We imbued you with our magic to heal you from injury

When at risk of death you stood

This is a very great gift because healing is something

No magic object or incantation can do

Only living magic conferred from a living soul

Can heal someone as injured as you

We didn't tell you for fear it would make you rash

Even we do not know how many times our magic will work

Perhaps only this time, so please be careful

Don't be rash, but don't good deeds ever shirk

This healing process will age you a little

Perhaps one year or maybe two

But the task is done and you are healed

Be careful in whatever you do"

He had floated to the top of ridge

Where he gently came down

He and his clothing were sopping with blood

Best go home, he thought with a frown

He collected his donkeys and all his stuff

Never once looking back at the giants camp

He started down the rocky path

Which was rough and steep as a ramp

He walked in a daze, not thinking at all

The trader's road was just below

Jalia was only minutes behind him

But this he didn't know

When he reached the road he stumbled upon it

Steadied himself on the donkeys rains

He should have ridden but that would have required thinking

And something had numbed his brains

Jalia spotted him as she reached the trader's road

Only a hundred yards ahead or so

She squealed with joy at seeing him alive

And wanted so much to tell him so.

He ignored her as she pulled at his shirt

She saw all the blood, enough for him to be dead

"Are you hurt!" she screamed almost fainting with fear

He just looked at her and slowly shook his head

"I was coming back, I would never have left you

I had the magic ring to heal you right up"

"Magic objects can't be used for healing

You killed me then, my time was up"

"The fairies saved me with their soul magic

For allowing then to destroy the evil pyramid you stole

It had ruined the nature of all the sand fairies

Without it, maybe they will regain their souls"

Jalia found that her voice had failed her

Daniel sounded so distant and grown

She suddenly noticed he was taller than her

She wanted to scream and she wanted to groan

He had saved her life twice, once only yesterday

And she had treated him like nothing but dirt

Suddenly she wanted him to punish her harshly

Punish her until she stopped feeling this hurt

"Beat me!" she cried as she rushed right in front of him

"Punish me severely, I deserve it you know

Make me feel all your righteous pure anger

I won't fight it, I'll welcome each blow!"

But Daniel ignore her while walking on steadily

There in the distance he could barely see

The city of
Delbon
just a smudge on the horizon

His birth city and the place that his brother would be

He quicken his pace while Jalia just followed

How dare he refuse to whip her bottom, she asked

He had enjoyed it before when she was bare ended

And she would make him again, 'He was tasked!'

Daniel's Return

Daniel's city was fair bustling with trade

Carts, wagons and donkeys struggling for space

Ceaselessly carrying their cargos in and out

Like ants in an anthill having a race

Daniel still wasn't talking to Jalia

But he didn't mind that she walked at his side

Through the bustling streets into market places

Until, finally his brother he spied

Yousef was a tall man with black messy beard

Who walked with a stoop and a fancy padded silk pad

This was needed every time he had to sit down

To cushion the injury he had had.

Yousef had been a very troubled man

He relied on Daniel's income for his lodging and food

It made him feel week not to survive without help

It made him embittered and angry and crude

Then he was made an offer that made him take stock

So good, so tempting, so cruel

He knew Daniel's dagger could also be sold for a lot

He was not the brightest at buying and selling

But no one would call him a fool.

So he had made the deal and was waiting for Daniel

For him, it was going to be a shock

But over time he would realize it was a good thing

Though Yousef knew it would not raise Yousef's stock.

But Daniel was late and his customer was anxious

Having paid out a large amount of gold

So when Daniel shouted out from the depth of the market

Yousef's relief was genuine, but cold

Yousef carefully stood and picked up his silk pad

It was the only thing that kept him sane

Else sitting down was like a thousand bee stings

His life would be nothing but pain

He slowly hobbled out of the market

With Daniel and Jalia and the donkeys in tow

He didn't even notice Jalia

Intent on his plan and how it would go

His house was only a short way away

He had bought it with the coin recently paid

It was so important this went without a hitch

Else this could be a disaster in spades

They went into the yard, Jalia stayed back

Daniel went to his brother and said

"I have made much money, this trip has been good

This should keep you housed and fed"

His brother took the coin purse without a word

He could feel from its weight that his brother told true

"Daniel can I borrow your dagger for a minute?

I promise to give it back to you"

Jalia moved further back in the yard

She sensed that something was wrong

But Daniel trusted his brother with his life

And gave him dagger, sheath and thong

Yousef handed the dagger to the servant stood near

Who quickly bustled it away

Yousef clapped his hands and some large men appeared

Who grabbed Daniel so he had no choice than to stay

"Daniel my brother as your guardian my child

I have sold you to Toxeth and his clan

They will take you and put the slave mark on your head

I am sure you can see the sense to this plan"

Jalia waited in the shadows

As Daniel was hustled away

She sneaked after Yousef as he entered the house

She intended to make this man pay.

The dagger had been left in the biggest room

Yousef looked at the blade, put it down, and sighed

That dagger had cost him a life without pain

Selling it would recover some of his pride

He went to the bedroom and using his silk pad

Settled down for siesta upon his bed

Then fell fast asleep from this exhausting day

And the things that he had done and said

Jalia retrieved the dagger taking all the money she found

Looked around for more in a dither

Then headed away to seek out Daniel

Taking the donkeys with her

Finding the Toxeth clan was easy

They owned the biggest manor in town

Jalia bound all she met with the magic ring

Heard shouting in the stables so went down

Daniel was being held by the big burly men

As a brand was being raised to his face

Then the brand flew away like a bird on the wing

And the two men flew apart at some pace

As they leapt up again whips suddenly appeared

And beat them back and hovered over each head

Jalia's voice came majestic from the door of the stable

"Touch my property once more and you are dead"

From the side door a massive man walked in

"This boy is my property bought fair"

"Not really, I bought him a year ago

I bought him out of Yousef's care"

"I have a deed of ownership" the fat man said

Obviously someone important in the Toxeth clan

"I have the means to whip you while I go to tea

If you want to argue it, my little man"

A whip appeared and Jalia made out to go

But the man gestured her back with a sigh

"I suppose can get my money back from Yousef

Arguing with you might make me die"

"I will take that deed" said Jalia very firmly

"Come with me now boy, don't be slow

"I'll release your men when we leave place

I would strongly suggest they don't follow"

Jalia led Daniel straight out of the manor

Grabbed the donkeys and they walked to the gate

Of this town that Jalia was thoroughly sick of

And to get out of, she just couldn't wait.

Way out of town, Daniel sat on a rock

Jalia handed him his dagger and brothers purse

Then, with a grin, she handed him his brother's silk pad

Which Daniel took with an oath and a curse

He put the silk pad down over his knees

Pulled Jalia down, tummy first, on the top

Started to spank her as she started to yell

"What's this for, now you just STOP!"

"So I'm taken and about to be branded as a slave

And all you can think of, is to acquire more loot

You even steal my brother's one item of comfort

About me and my fate, you just didn't give a hoot!"

"Oh, I did Daniel, I truly, really did

But the dagger is too important to just leave

And I wanted to punish that brother of yours

I wanted to make him curse and to grieve"

"How did he get that injury any way?

You never told me how it came to pass"

"I explained how I saved him with my magic sword

And he said 'Magic thing my ass!'"

Both Daniel and Jalia convulsed with laughter

Jalia now sitting on Daniel's lap, you see

It was some time later before Jalia got her spanking

It was not very hard and she took it with glee.

The End