Max Stone and the Lost Star of Zirdon (7 page)

CHAPTER NINE

OLD FRIENDS

The climb to the top of the Northern Caves had been long and hard. The path was steeper and narrower on the way up and they had to work hard. They pressed on, each of them now deeply cold, hungry and tired.

Boctamus knew they had to get out into the fresh warm air of Zirdon, and soon.

‘Look, Max' said Boctamus when they turned a corner. Bright rays of light spilled down into the tunnel, and Max was about to dash ahead into the heat. Boctamus placed his hand on his arm ‘No, Max, we must wait, we must be careful. The Kaemon could be lying in ambush! If they have worked out that we did not escape through the southern caves with the rest of the Swaveb Tribe, they may have posted patrols to look for us. They do not know where the caves come out, but they may be looking.'

Max froze, holding the box tighter than ever before. The map, of course, was ruined after falling into the lake but the Star sat safely inside.

They moved slowly and carefully towards the cave's entrance, feeling the warm air wrap around them with each step.

‘CoooCooo, CoooCooo' echoed a small bird just up ahead. Boctamus cupped his hands and responded, cupping his own hands.

‘
Coohoohoo, Cooohoohoo, Cooohoohoo
.'

Max looked confused until a tall warrior stepped out from behind a large stone at the cave's entrance.

He was young like Boctamus, and tall. He wore his jet black hair in the same fashion, long and tied back into a tight pony tail that fell mid-way to his back. He was dressed the same too; black leather tunic over beige pants. He was equipped with bow and arrow, sword and daggers in each boot that marked him as a warrior.

‘Tomac, old friend, great to see you. What news?' Boctamus rushed forward embracing his friend.

‘How did you find us here?' he asked.

Tomac smiled ‘Boctamus you look like you have seen a ghost.'

‘The nearest thing old friend. We stumbled upon the Ranguilla and the waters of the lake have us frozen, but tell me how it is you came to find us here?'

‘My father received a message from Mar-Hoc-Seia this morning. He explained all about how they plan to gather at the Stone of Azul.'

‘You see, Max' said Boctamus, ‘you see! Luck is on our side.'

‘Tomac, I should like you to meet Max. He is one of the bravest boys I have ever met and all of Zirdon is in his debt for returning the Lost Star.

Tomac smiled, his eyes were green over the brown pupils, and he extended his hand. ‘You have brought great hope to our Tribe. For this earth boy all of Zirdon is grateful.' He said the words in a slightly formal tone, speaking as if it were his father welcoming this strange boy to his land. He didn't know how else to act.

‘You can relax Tomac, his name is Max,' Boctamus said, playfully hitting his friend in the arm.

‘Max it is then' Tomac smiled, relieved that the formality was over. ‘Come, we shall eat, you look famished.'

Tomac took a small sack from his back-pack and handed it to his friends. They stayed within the cover of the caves but just close enough that the rays of the sun warmed their cold bodies as they sat to eat.

At first Max didn't really care for the strips of dried meat and the strange-tasting fruit, but hunger soon took over and he fell on the meal greedily.

As they ate they discussed what they would do next. ‘We must wait until the sun has set,' Tomac began. ‘Though they do not know where we are, there are many guards patrolling around the City of Elgonze. Our Tribe will meet with Mar-Hoc-Seia at the crossing of the Zagger Zee and from there we shall ride to the Stone of Azul.'

‘But how will we travel, it is many miles to the Zagger Zee and your Fight-Cat, Lothius, could never carry all three of us. It would be too much for him' Boctamus asked between mouthfuls of dried meat.

‘Worry not old friend, before I left the hills this morning I sent a call to Mannuk. He followed behind as Lothius and I travelled here.'

Boctamus smiled ‘Mannuk, ever reliable!'

Max listened to them talk over plans and felt sleep come over him. He was warm and fed and after the morning's adventure he was tired. He drifted off to sleep in a warm pool of sunshine.

When the sun dipped low in the sky Boctamus quietly woke Max and beckoned for him to follow.

Even though the sun was low, it was dazzlingly bright as they stepped outside the cave. Max gasped in wonder as he caught sight of the City of Elgonze, below them and to their right. It sparkled magnificently. Each tower and building looked to have been crafted from thousands of diamonds and gems. All around, Max could make out beautiful parks and playgrounds, water fountains and houses. The streets were lined with strange-looking trees and shrubs and Max could only wonder at what exotic fruits and nuts they would bear.

But there was a sadness to the city, for the playgrounds were empty and no citizens wandered the streets. The place looked bare and alone.

Even from up here Max could feel the heat radiate out from Elgonze.

‘
Someday,
Max thought to himself, ‘
someday I will return here and visit
'

Even from this distance they could make out Kaemon guards at the Gates to Elgonze, basking in the last of the evening's sun. They lounged around, leaning against the heated Kerlang slabs at the entrance to the city.

Boctamus and Tomac cupped their hands and issued a low call that Max could hardly hear. Within minutes the two magnificent Fight-Cats streamed into sight. Max recognised Mannuk instantly, with his long flowing mane of green and orange, its massive tiger's head and its razor sharp sabre teeth. Beside Mannuk ran Lothius, an enormous Fight-Cat of all white fur.

This time when Max saw Mannuk approach he did not sense fear as when he had first seen him on the desert plains of Zirdon. Now he looked at the magnificent tiger with a sense of hope and excitement that they were rushing to save Zirdon.

The two warriors greeted their Fight-Cats warmly.

‘Max, you will travel with me,' said Boctamus and he offered a hand to haul Max up onto the back of Mannuk.

‘We must travel with speed and stealth, Max, so hold on tight.'

As they made their way from the caves and towards the crossing of the Zagger Zee they did not notice
DRÄÄGNOS
give chase. He had been lounging in the evening sun and was startled to see the two shapes of the Fight-Cats bound off into the distance. His lizard eyes focussed on the small figure behind the one on the orange cat. ‘
Earth Boy
, he thought to himself.

His leader would be pleased.

CHAPTER TEN

‘EARTH BOY FOR BREAKFAST'

KRÄÄXOR
, leader of the Kaemon Klann, was furious.

‘
Whaaaaat
?' He bellowed in his deep husky voice.

DRÄÄGNOS
cowered in front of his master raising his hand to cover his face, pulling back from the Kaemon's terrifying leader.

‘ You Whaaat?' the guttural voice snapped, the last of the words gurgling in anger at the back of his reptilian throat.

KRÄÄXOR
raised the back of his hand and brought it down heavily across the thick skull of
DRÄÄGNOS
.

The lizard soldier took a step back, his face smarting from the slap.

‘You mean you let them go! You had them in your hands, you lizard dog, and you let them go!! He spat the words angrily so all soldiers in the room would hear.

‘That interfering earth boy, I shall have him for
brrreakfast
,' he lingered over the word breakfast, drawing it out so all knew that he meant it. ‘I shall first crush the Star they hold so precious and sprinkle it upon him as I devour him.'

He turned to face the other Kaemon soldiers in the room. ‘And then we shall be free to leave this rat-infested planet.' He eyed the nervous soldiers in the room, each casting their eyes to the ground, not wanting to catch his attention.

‘Ha! You have grown fat and lazy on this planet; it is long past the time when we should be gone. We of the Kaemon Klann were never meant to be trapped on one world. I do not wish to remain here another day longer.'

He turned his full stare back to
DRÄÄGNOS
. ‘And you let him go. YOU LET HIM GO!!' he screamed and roared.

DRÄÄGNOS
cowered in front of his master, ‘they were too fast' he offered weakly.

‘GRRHHH!'
he snarled at him. ‘They were too fast,
they were too fast
.' He slammed his hand into his fist, and shouted into
DRÄÄGNOS
's face, ‘YOU were TOO slow. You were too sleepy lying around on those sparkling stones, you lazy dog.'

He turned to face the others again. Standing in the front row was
STRÄÄLUS
, the one who had found Max in the desert, the one who had first brought word of the Star's return to
KRÄÄXOR
. He at least had come with the bruises and bleeding skull to show he had at least put up some fight. And he was eager to find this earth boy and the warrior who had protected him. As he absently rubbed his skull where Boctamus had hit him with the handle of the sword, he thought to himself, ‘I
have a score to settle with that one'
.

KRÄÄXOR
roared a command, ‘Mobilise all of our troops. They will make to the sacred spot, the home of the blue stone.'

His evil mind began to work out a plan.

‘Let them come across the river, let them think they have evaded us, that they are one step ahead. Let these dogs think they have out-smarted us. Across the river at the Blue Stone we will lie in ambush for them. We will wipe out every last one of them.'

‘Yes, Master' said
STRÄÄLUS
and
DRÄÄGNOS
at the same time, each assuming they had command of the army. They eyed each other suspiciously, each vying for the top spot in the Kaemon army.

KRÄÄXOR
waved them out and the lizard soldiers left the room to make ready for battle.

Once alone, the leader of the Kaemon Klann, the tallest and meanest of them all by far, rubbed his scaly hands together dreaming of a delicious breakfast of interfering earth boy. It would be a sweet treat and oh how he hated earthlings. It had been an earthling, an old one, that had robbed him of the Star so many months ago and it would be sweet revenge to eat this earthling who brought it back to him.

KRÄÄXOR
rubbed his hands together. Yes he would eat this earthling, savour each and every bite as he tore him apart, limb from limb.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE GATHERING

A Takuon Bird circled high in the sky over the Zagger Zee River and Mar-Hoc-Seia held out his arm and called to it.

The bird squawked and circled the boat that Mar-Hoc-Seia sailed on. It really didn't like landing on a moving boat. The wise old Swaveb leader took a sweet nut from the Maldoolan Tree out of his pocket and held it onto his arm. He knew that the bird wouldn't be able to resist the treat and would spot its bright orange shell instantly.

Realising that it had been tricked, but unable to resist the nut, the bird flew in low and landed loudly in a flap of feathers and squawks. It ruffled noisily as it landed and pecked at the nut with its strong beak.

Mar-Hoc-Seia and the others had sent dozens and dozens of birds to Swaveb Tribe members all over Zirdon once they had cleared the Southern Caves. They had to get word out about the return of the Lost Star. Mar-Hoc-Seia, Yan-Ho and Sey-Mar knew that this might be their last chance.

They would have to act fast and together.

Mar-Hoc-Seia instantly knew the bird on his arm was the one he had sent to Altusa up in the hills. This was good news. He called to Yan-Ho and Sey-Mar who were helping with the ropes on the little sail boat.

‘This is my bird, Jay' he explained, stroking the feathers of the winged messenger who had now reached the sweet nut inside the bright orange shell. Yan-Ho smiled but Sey-Mar looked confused; so much had happened this day that he was finding it hard to keep up.

‘The one I sent to Altusa, ….in the hills,' Mar-Hoc-Seia prompted him.

‘Ah' said Sey-Mar, ‘so they got the message, the Tigral Tribe.' Sey-Mar wasn't used to all this fuss. He was a quiet sort, preferring to tend his vegetable garden, and his clutch of Takuon Birds. He was perhaps the most successful of all Takuon breeders in Zirdon and he took great pride that they now played such a vital role in the battle for Zirdon. His birds were normally used for much more normal purposes, sending messages between families, looking for help with a harvest or just general gossip. But all this fuss! It made his head spin. Like most of the Swaveb Tribe, Sey-Mar had been shocked when the Kaemon Klann first came to Zirdon.

Of course they had all heard the stories of the nomads that roamed the planets, destroying each one in turn. It was a story they read to their children, it was a sort of a scary story. No-one really believed it to be true though, and no-one ever imagined that they would one day come to Zirdon.

And here they were so many of the Swaveb Tribe floating down the Zagger Zee River in small sail-boats gathering to fight against these dangerous lizard creatures - fighting to get their planet back.

Mar-Hoc-Seia saw the worry on his friend's face. ‘What ails you Sey-Mar? You seem troubled.'

‘It's… well it's all this.' Sey-Mar turned his old head and pointed to the flotilla of small boats that sailed up the Zagger Zee River'

‘So many of our tribe are sailing behind us. And to what? What are we sailing to?'

‘But we do not have any choice old friend, we talked about this, we must do what we can to save Zirdon. Even if that means we have to fight.

Sey-Mar smiled at his friend ‘I know old friend, I know.' He squinted his tired eyes and took a closer look at the bird on his friend's arm.

‘Ah yes, of course, Jay, a wonderful bird.' He fished a Moldovan nut out of his pocket and gave it to the bird. The Takuon Bird took the nut and disappeared in a flash of blue and white feathers. It settled in the comfort of a nearby tree to eat its prize.

Sey-Mar continued ‘I fear The Kaemon will not be frightened by an army of farmers and miners even with our pitch forks and axes. I fear that we may be travelling in haste.'

Yan-Ho, a much younger member of the Swaveb Tribe and a miner by trade, disagreed.

‘But we have to do something, Sey-Mar. Mar-Hoc-Seia is right; we can't just let them destroy us, we have to fight them, however we can. And besides, the Tigral Tribe will be with us.'

Sey Mar smiled kindly at the younger tribe member.

‘I know we must, I know of course. But it still worries me that so many of us travel to one place, so many of us'

Mar Hoc-Seia nodded his agreement, understanding the concern of his friend.

‘But what choice do we have? They know that the Lost Star has returned and will do everything in their power to seize it. Seize it and destroy it. Once they do, all on Zirdon will die and they travel to another planet to do the same. We simply must do something'

Yan-Ho on the other hand was looking forward to the battle. As a miner he spent long days in the dark tunnels cutting out Kerlang stones so that he and his family had a warm city to go to in winter. Now, as he saw it, winter was approaching and he and his tribe would surely die as snow and frost covered the ground so they could not reach the refuge of Elgonze. He knew that, no matter what the cost, they had to try, they had to do something. He held his miner's axe in his belt and even though the reptile soldiers stood almost three times his height he would stand with a brave heart do what he must.

Mar-Hoc-Seia looked at his two friends. ‘We can only hope that Altusa of the Tigral Tribe has strength enough to bring their army of Fight-Cats, to bring his warriors from the hills. We will have our part to play Sey-Mar, we must help this brave earth boy to replace the Lost Star. To finish what his grandfather began.'

They each lowered their heads and watched the water pass them. The sail-boats were gathering speed now as the water of the Zagger Zee gathered pace. They were about to pass through a mountainous pass, where the cliffs hung high overhead.

It meant they were coming close.

Now that the Kaemon Klann knew the Star had returned, they would leave no stone unturned in trying to find it. They desperately wanted to destroy the Star and all of Zirdon so that they may travel to another planet and wreak more havoc.

High up in the cliffs their passage was watched by
DRÄÄGNOS
.
KRÄÄXOR
had banished him as General of the Army and he was now sent to run errands for his leader.

He blamed the puny earth boy for his misfortune and he would take his revenge. He was sorely tempted to start an avalanche and sink the tiny little boats right there and then. But he held back. His leader had told him that no harm was to come to any of the furry little creatures as they gathered. He wanted them all in one place so that his mighty army could slay them in one glorious battle. The name of the Kaemon Klann would be feared throughout the universe as word of his power and strength travelled before them.

DRÄÄGNOS
didn't dare cross his leader again. He had lost command of his army to
STRÄÄLUS
, that snivelling dog, and he felt the shame of it burn inside him. If he disobeyed a direct order, worse would befall him.