The Book of Ominiue: Starborn (7 page)

Hanniver and Shayne were invited to the head table with the village elder, Kíe and the two captains. Shayne sat cross legged and looked up at the elder sitting beside him, she was an old lionman, with sunken features and a thin frame. Despite her frailness the old leader still appeared intimidatingly large to the Earthmen. The food presented was a pleasant change from the military rations though they had to pick their choices carefully and attach their drinks to a filter device. It was difficult to explain to the simple village people that their food could make the Earthmen very sick if they were not careful, but Kíe managed to convince them. Great roasts, fruits and salads of many kinds were laid before them causing their mouths to water. Beverages of wine and ciders were poured.  It was clear that the village and the warriors were giving their best for the Earthmen: they in return tried their best to accept all that was provided.

Hanniver sat between Shayne and Pan’arden, one of the robots sat near him where it translated. The Brigadier happy tested the wine, he thought it was a better alternative to sulking over his brief exchange with Shayne. It was against regulations for a member of the Empire Military to consume alcohol, but considering their current position he thought he could let it slide, it provided a good distraction from a day’s frustration and as the night passed his spirits grew. His Tasmanian tiger lay patiently behind him, awaiting any scraps that were to pass her way. There was also a hound dog and two small cats in the hall sitting beside their masters, in perfect harmony with each other.

Many of the Earthmen became quite drunk; this was not a hard thing to achieve when military law only allowed consumption while on leave and public holidays. A black market culture existed back on the colonised worlds; illegal alcohol trade in the military was just as big as drugs in the civilian world. Not that consumption was a problem with this group, but sometimes people will just take advantage of the situation. Not all were drunk: Omar, one of the privates and the Starborn all stayed sober. Shayne did not drink. He tried the cider but was not impressed, so he stuck with the filtered water instead.

The night passed harmoniously, Hanniver was happy to converse with Pan’arden, where they talked about the king of Kérith-Árim. Later on Kíe sung some songs and played his eight-string guitar. The night then progressed with songs sung by other lionmen; warriors and local villagers alike, all impressive. None were on the same scale as Kíe, but he happily let them entertain when they wanted to, the scholar would then delegate himself to a support position, complimenting them on their talents. Other instruments would appear throughout the night as the natives joined in. One very impressive flute player from the army played along with Kíe’s melody, often improvising. Afterwards Kíe bowed to her skill, a great honour for any musician, even from a first year journeyman.

When the songs had ended Kíe retrieved another stringed instrument, a large wooden frame that he rested on his lap as he played it. This one looked and sounded very similar to a Chinese instrument called a Guqui, though it had the same amount of strings as his guitar. He played quietly in the background as some of the warrior storytellers spoke of their adventures; embellishing them as any storyteller does.

Eventually Kíe put his Guqui-like instrument aside and rose for the teaching, As the regional scholar he would command the stage and speak in more depth about the songs and legends they recited. This was an important part of their tradition and reinforced their religion and teachings.

‘In the beginning,’ Kíe’s voice rose with the power of a performer and everyone instantly grew quiet and the children rose up in anticipation, ‘there was only the creator.’ Some of the children slumped a bit, the creation was one of the most recited stories but still they were excited, it was a journeyman who was telling the tale after all. ‘The creator had no name, for
oren
[7]
had to speak with, so the author of all divided
ordenself
into many and donned a cloak of power; the body of the mighty lion and they called themselves the Kéaran.’ The natives’ words of
oren
and its variances was distracting at first, English language did not have proper neutral words for gender, excluding the vague usage of words such as ‘them’ to combine male and female into groups. There was no appropriate translation, so often they did not translate.

‘Of the Kéaran three are known. First came Kea’mahendra the Lion of Darkness, who is shrouded in night so none can see
orden
, but is the creator of all. Second is Zea’hinader, the Lion of Flame, the speaker of our dreams and the guider when there is none to guide,
oren
exists in living flame that ebbs and flows with the wind. The Firelion can run as fast as a dragon and commands all the creatures of the world,’ Kíe paused a second, bringing his arm around in an arc, ‘and lastly is Ká’ranarder, the White Lion of Light, the one who governs our lands in times of hardship, it was
oren
who sent Ominiue to protect us and guide us. The Light gave us love and hope and freedom.

‘The Kéaran, the Lions of creation, grew tired of their kingdom. Their servants were many and their lands were eternal, but they only had themselves to enjoy it. So they decided to create the universe and fill it with mortal creatures who would grow and die, and those that were worthy would ascend to the eternal lands and share in it with them, and those who were not would return to the nothingness in which they were formed.

‘Kea’mahendra was the grand architect.
Oren
saw the emptiness and gave it form.
Oren
made the stars and the planets and the Sun and the Moon; raised the mountains and sunk the seas.

‘Next Ká’ranarder created life. The very first creation was to be the caretaker of the world and they called him Ossh’laue, the mighty God of Dragons and servant of the Kéaran and it is he we call Ominiue. He protects the innocent and judges the guilty, for the White Lion saw that there would be evil in a mortal world. Ká’ranarder then created the three guardian dragon-gods to help Ominiue: First there was Mataurious the Guardian of the Seas and all bodies of water, then there was Ethus the Guardian of the Earth and all underneath it, and finally came Galafus the Guardian of the Skies and all the winds that flowed around her ...’

The night drifted on and Kíe’s story continued, describing in basic detail the coming of the mortal dragons and the others including the Afradians and their great influence over the advancement of the people. Afterwards they returned to more singing. The children were taken to bed and some of the adults also retired leaving behind the more eager to celebrate.

Shayne sat alone for much of the night, sometimes a native would approach him and he would politely speak with them, but mostly he sat in silence watching the proceeding around him, listening to the songs and tales of Dífrun mythology.

Slowly the night deepened and many Earthmen desired sleep. As honoured guests they were allowed to sleep in the Meeting House. When the humans conveyed their desire to retire, the lionmen stacked the low benches at the end of the room and brought in several bed furs for the Earthmen visitors, including the androids.

Hanniver staggered off, leaning on a droid, ‘Hope my cup wasn’t made from lead,’ he slurred with a half dazed expression on his face as he tried to recall.

‘No Sir, it is brass,’ 14D-SCMSR informed while escorting him to a bed in the corner.

‘Oh,’ was all the Brigadier could say, his eyebrows rose and his eyes briefly twinkled before he went back into his dreamy look. The robot laid him down on furs spread upon the floor, where the Brigadier curled up like a child and instantly began to snore.

Shayne felt restricted in the hall, the atmosphere was intriguing but the small building was suffocating. When everyone had staggered off to bed he slipped outside where the air was much more agreeable. Shayne looked up at the sky; stars twinkled brightly in the darkness with the Milky Way and colonyships clear above them. He instantly felt at ease, leaning against a wooden pillar he continued to gaze up.

The sound of feet on stone caught his attention. He turned his head to face the High Captain Pan’arden. She came to Shayne’s side, resting her arms upon the wooden railing. She also looked up at the stars. Shayne watched her from the corner of his eye, even though she was slouched she still stood at a foot taller than him: her eyes gleamed in the night as she watched the lights.

‘Why is it Afra’hama, that of all the sky Ta’Orians, you are the only one to look up at the stars?’ She lowered her gaze to look at Shayne; her yellow eyes glittered in the receding moonlight as she examined his face. Shayne tried to grasp the question. He felt a connection to the colonyships and to the Astronauts, a connection the Planetsiders did not. To him they seemed blind to the universe around them and its wonders. He could not find an answer.

Pan’araden nodded at seeing his struggle to articulate a reply, instead she pointed to the Milky Way, her hand moving over the Sagittarius Arm. ‘There is an ancient legend of the stars, before the first Time-Bender. We call the path the Dragons Run. Once we believed it was where the souls of the Dragons and their riders would rise when they were slain. For eternity they fly on the winds of night as the blessed, with the heroes of old. It is a beautiful thought and as a child I wished that one day I would join those stars.’ Pan’arden grew quiet for a moment as they both contemplated the skies above. She then looked up at the colonyships glinting above them, ‘Where did the new stars come from?’

‘They are not stars; they are
spaceships
.’ Shayne hesitated a moment while he tried to think of an appropriate description for them. ‘Like a sea — what do you call it?
Vessel
, ship, but they fly in the sky like a bird.’ The lionman’s eyes widened in wonder. ‘We travelled in them from another star.’

‘Which star?’ she asked looking at them.

‘You cannot see my world, it is too far away, too small, too dark, but the sky ships started their
real
journey from that star there,’ Shayne pointed to a rather bright point in the night sky. ‘The world is called Ursa Auckland.’

Pan’arden looked up at the star with a thoughtful smile printed on her face. ‘What is your world like?’

‘I do not remember my planet.’

‘I do not understand. What do you mean?’ She regarded him surprised.

‘I awoke upon the giant starships. That is my earliest memory.’

***

His awareness of what surrounded him shifted to a feeling, something a part of him. He tried to move that which drew his attention, but he was received with no response. He slowly formed the idea of weight placed upon him; upon his arms, running along through his legs and into his chest, stretching through his body. Even the tips of his fingers felt they held a burden too intense to carry.

The heaviness grew until he noticed a pain throbbing through his head. He tried to protest but he could not think of any words. His mind slowly dawned upon the possibility of being conscious and he soon concluded that he had just awoken, but from what? He could not recall ever falling asleep. He tried to solve this problem but his mind could not form full images or find the correct words. He fell into confusion. He could only create short, simple sentences and for some reason this troubled him. He knew that something was not right.

The harder he tried to solve this issue the more troubled he became so he let his mind slip. His thoughts travelled back to the darkness that surrounded him and he wondered what it was. He became comforted by this darkness, it soothed him, but his newfound calm was disturbed by something else. It was always there but he was not aware of its existence before, but now it grew louder as he turned his attention to it. He became conscious of sound and he decided that this was the sound of voices. They were human voices like his own: intelligent and reasonable.

***

Shayne snapped out of his daydream with Pan’arden regarding him, expecting an answer.

‘Sorry?’ Shayne looked upon her.

She shook her head. ‘It must be hard, not to know who you are.’

‘It does not bother me,’ Shayne replied.

Pan’arden’s eyes searched him sceptically. ‘Are you not interested in your home world at all?’

‘No,’ he simply replied. ‘I do not see why I should be interested in something I shall never see again. I would have thought that Kíe informed you of my nature.’

‘The Journeyman did, but I wanted to see for myself.’ She then let a small smile escape her lips before adding, ‘I should retire. It will be a long day tomorrow, goodnight Afra’hama.’ Shayne watched her bow before heading back to one of the outer dwellings, the place she was residing while stationed in this town.  After she disappeared into the night he looked up at the stars again. Contemplating them a while longer before he too retired.

***