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The voices sounded odd, sort of melodic. Just abnormal enough
to make him wonder what exactly they were thinking and who they were. He swiftly
lay back down and pretended to be fast asleep. He left one eye open so he could
view his captors.
Two shadowy figures entered the room.
They wore simple clothing, their garments hardly distinguishable from one another.
Their faces were solemn. The first character was a tall and rather slender Blumaroo,
who's coat was yellow and tattered, while the second looked nearly the same,
except a little shorter and with red fur. These mysterious pets approached almost
soundlessly and got too close for comfort. Sthenos shut his open eye just as
they peered over him.
One of the figures leaned over Sthenos
and took a close look. The Ixi tried to control his breathing and seem natural.
He was surprised they hadn't heard his heartbeat by then. The character closely
examined him leaned ever closer, and paused for a moment. "He's awake," the
gruff voiced one announced.
Sthenos continued pretending to sleep,
though it was almost certainly futile. They knew somehow. "Wake. It's time to
get up," the quieter voice whispered, barely audible.
"You have a lot ahead of you," said the
other.
When the pair realized he wasn't getting
up, they pulled the straw covers off of him. Sthenos opened his eyes, knowing
his trick was up, and that he had better face them. He could not see the faces
of his captors despite the improved view. Sthenos got up and found that they
weren't the most intimidating of figures. One of them shrank back a bit, which
encouraged him to be more aggressive. He remembered where he was... an ancient
city with an ancient culture. He should learn more about them, observe their
customs instead of breaking out of there. "Where am I?" he asked them.
No response.
"Why did you take me here?"
"Come, you need to see our ruler," the
red Blumaroo said hesitantly. They swiftly advanced and each of them grabbed
one of Sthenos's front paws. He was strong from years of exploring and facing
unexpected challenges, but these strangers were nearly as strong and double
as many. They were certainly not as frail as they looked. He didn't struggle
much even though he probably couldn't get away. Maybe they'd let him live.
Silently, they led him out of the room.
The sunrise was beautiful, but not enough as to distract him from the rest of
the apparently ancient village. Nobody was on the street, but he saw some faces
in the windows of various houses. The city was wonderful; unique signs of culture
were everywhere, and Sthenos just wished he had a chance to explore it all,
take in the ancient place as a whole.
The two solemn Blumaroos stopped in front
of a large tree. At a second glance, Sthenos noticed doors near the base of
the tremendous plant. His captors swung the doors open with their free arms.
The tree apparently served as the home of their ruler. Before Sthenos could
get a better look at the tree palace, they walked him inside. The flooring wasn't
as basic as the ground inside the houses, but it definitely wasn't a royal carpet.
He was lead through a great hall (which he wished he had more time to explore)
and into a room that split into three other directions. They continued through
the central door, and sitting at a majestic table, was the apparent leader.
The duo motioned for him to sit down, then stood on either side of him.
The ruler was another Blumaroo, though
unlike the others, had a glossy and well-kept coat of purest white. The leader
was clothed in a normal outfit - at least to Sthenos's standards. He wore simple
pants and a vest, rather simple for "royalty." His face was solemn, like the
others, but more friendly in a way. He extended a snowy paw to Sthenos, who
hesitantly shook it, hoping that was their custom. "You may call me Lord Kunoc.
Do you know where you are?" the leader asked.
"No..." Sthenos replied, "I was walking
through the jungle and-"
"Yes, were you looking for The Harp?"
"Err -- sort of. I've heard the legends
and decided to look for it," Sthenos replied, deciding it would be best to tell
the truth.
"You're very close," stated Kunoc.
Sthenos couldn't help but smile. The way
the lord had said it just sounded so warm, welcoming. They were peaceful. It
sounded like he wasn't going to be executed or enslaved after all, but it was
too early to assume anything.
"Do you need anything?" Kunoc continued,
"You must be weary from your travels… a drink perhaps?"
"Yeah, I'm a little thirsty. Thank you
for all your hospitality, I really appreciate it," Sthenos replied, thankful
for their hospitality.
"It's no problem. I'm sure you would have
done the same for one of us." Kunoc snapped his fingers, dismissing his "servants."
The tired adventurer couldn't think of
much more to say. He was so glad to be accepted by them, though he still didn't
seem to fit in too well. There were so many new things around him, he couldn't
decide to get straight back to searching for The Harp or taking an opportunity
to explore the city.
The two Blumaroos who he had originally
been with returned, carrying two drinking cups. They set them on the table,
bowed graciously, and left. "Enjoy your ale," Kunoc said.
"Thank you, your Lordship," Sthenos replied,
taking a sip. The lord snapped his paws, and the two Blumaroos left the room.
"So, what's your name?" Kunoc asked.
"Sthenos is my name. I'm an explorer searching
for The Harp and other artifacts."
"Well, Sthenos, you've done a good job
in coming this far. I can show you The Harp now, is that alright?"
"That sounds great!" Sthenos enthused.
"Follow me."
Kunoc stood up and began walking down
the hall, towards the end of the room. Sthenos followed, and soon they came
to a golden door. "Right this way," the lord said, motioning towards the door.
Sthenos opened the door slowly. A bright
light was illuminating from beyond, yet it didn't harm his eyes to get a good
view. The door led outside, into a shaded clearing within the jungle. In the
middle of this small grove was a pedestal on which rested The Harp. It illuminated
the area around it with a soft white glow. Sthenos stared, open-mouthed. It's
true, he thought, it's really true. The Harp shimmered in all its glory, a thing
of myth, a thing of legend. He reached out to touch the fabled object.
"No," Kunoc stated firmly. Sthenos withdrew
his hand from the radiant artifact. He turned to face Lord Kunoc. "The Harp
is ours. It has been passed down from generation to generation, leader to leader.
We use it for good, and we couldn't risk it falling into the wrong hands...
not to say yours are. We have to be careful. Do you understand, my friend?"
he asked Sthenos.
"Yes, that's perfectly reasonable," Sthenos
nodded. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply I wanted it for myself. I just
thought I could use it to improve the world."
Kunoc smiled warmly. "It's fine. I know
you only intend to use it for good, but we are making plenty good use of it
here. Perhaps you can visit us another time?"
"That sounds great."
"Care to join us in a feast?"
"Fantastic," Sthenos replied, returning
the grin.
~~~~~~~~~~
After the wonderful feast, consisting of exotic jungle dishes, Sthenos was
stuffed and ready for the journey home. He had some extra food packed, always
prepared for the worst. Part of him wished he could stay longer, but he didn't
fit in with their old ways. "Thank you, Kunoc, for you and your people supporting
me and giving me shelter. I can't find any way to express my gratitude," he
told his new-found friend.
"Sthenos, it was our pleasure. You sought
The Harp, and found it. You didn't insist or force it out of our possession.
We were happy to have you and hope you have a safe journey home."
"Thank you all once again for your hospitality."
"Oh, one last thing..." Kunoc added. He
held out a paw, containing a rolled piece of parchment. Sthenos took it and
unfurled it. It was a map of the jungle. It included major routes, paths, hazards,
landmarks, and of course, the city; everything he would need to visit again.
He looked up at Lord Kunoc. "Feel free to visit us any time."
"I'll be back!" Sthenos replied. He couldn't
wait for another visit, but for now, it was time to go home.
"Farewell, friend! We shall see you soon!"
Kunoc waved a farewell. Sthenos smiled, looked from the map to the horizon,
and marched homeward into the rising sun.
The End
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