Chapter 2 - A fortunate fall

Chapter 2: A Fortunate Fall

        After the battleships landed, all of the soldiers gathered around Captain Shima for orders. The other guardians finally decided to show their faces and stood behind Shima as though they had been doing their job the whole time. Naku stayed behind Shima as well, but away from the others. He didn't like the smell that loomed around them. It was the smell of wine. He muched prefered when Shima was questioning him and he could smell honey on his breath. Honey was Naku's favorite scent.

        When Leena came up to Shima she nodded and said, "All the soldiers are here captain."

        "Good," he said calmly. He looked around at the talking soldiers and the yelled out in a booming voice that caught everyone's attention, "listen up! We, the red division of the Hexian military, have been assigned to this important mission. It is an honor, and we shall not fail! What we are looking for as you know is LuCana. We must find it quickly for King Aidias. Rylain shall inform you on how we shall find it."

        He then nodded to Rylain, a young brown haired man standing by Leena. Rylain stepped forth and started explaining what Naku had earlier explained to Shima. Afterward, the soldiers gathered into five sections, each lead by one of the head soldiers. Leena was one of these leaders. So was Rylain. As Shima was about to give the order to move out, an odd gust of wind came from the east. Naku looked up at the hills that it came from to see two odd creatures standing there. They were as all as the trees around them and had the bodyshape of a goat and paws of a cat. The face was of a wolf, and their were symbols all over their bodies.

        Naku turned to look at Shima. He was also looking at the odd creatures. Slowly he drew his phaser sword out of its Sheath. As soon as the the tip of the sword was visible, the giant creatures attacked. The legions of soldiers scattered as the animals tried to crush them under their paws. Naku stood there stunned as all the other guardians ran to hide in the forest.

        "Everyone, head to the forests! Regroup on the plains on the other side of the forest that were on our maps! I'll join you shortly..." Shima said, as Calm as ever. As the Soldiers all ran into the forest, Naku walked up to the Captain. Shima glanced over at him. "You should go too, Naku."

        Naku just said without looking at him, "My job as guardian is to protect you. I'm staying, even if I can't do anything but watch and run around in circles trying not to get squished. I guess I can be your cheerleader for today."

        The Creatures gathered around them. One lunged toward Shima. He bided his time and at the exact moment put his sword right into the beast's nose and used it to swing up on its back. It howled in pain and bucked around furiously. Shima ran down its back, slicing it with his sword along the way. the blood that came out was think and drark maroon. Nothing like the hexian had ever seen, but it didn't effect Shima. As he was dealt with the bigger of the two, the other circled around Naku. He stood his ground and dodged every attack the animal made. When the other beast screamed from being cut by the phaser sword, the creature looked at it and came running to its aid like a wolf would if it were part of the pack. It tried to bite at Shima. Just at the right second, Shima lifted his sword and a plasma bast rang out from it, slicing the smaller creatured head in two. The one that was left began to run and buck even more furiously as it saw it's companion fall. Shima had some trouble staying on the beast and had to grab it's fur with one hand. He couldn't use the phaser sword for a few more seconds. After he had used the plasma shot it had to recharge itself. He just had to hold on till then. The bad thing was, the beast was heading straight toward Naku.

        Shima managed to yell out to him, "Naku, move!"

        Naku managed to jump out of the way and onto a nearby boulder, but that happened to be the worst possible place to have jumped to. As the beast ran by, its tail slammed into the boulder causing it to roll off the cliff, and it took Naku along with it. Shima didn't notice. He didn't even hear Naku yell because of the animal's roaring. one mili-second later, the phaser sword was charged. He swung and the plasma blast entered right into the beast's neck, killing it instantly. The body twitched for one brief moment, and then joined the head on the ground. Shima jumped off and sheathed his sword in one fluent motion.

        "Lets go, Naku....Naku?" Shima looked to the boulder and saw that it had rolled off the cliff. He walked to the edge and locked down. He couldn't see anything. the poor boy He thought. There is no way he could survive that fall...and even if he did, he would be seriously injured, and there is no way for me to get down the cliff... Shima bowed his head and pulled off his left glove, then let it fall down the cliff. It was a tradition to do that is a captain's guardian had fallen in battle. After a brief moment of silence, Shima turned and walked off toward the plains.

        Naku woke up after feeling something fall on his face. he opened his eyes and pulled it off. His whole body ached. he looked around and found himself in a shallow river. He had rolled off the cliff into the river instead of just falling off in mid-air. He sat up and looked at the thing that had woken him up. Its was his captains glove. "Gah! Captain Shima thinks I'm dead!" he exclaimed, remembering the tradition.

        He stood up, his body burning in agony from the scrapes and bruises. He knew there was no way to get up the cliff, so he decided to try and go around it. Naku didn't get far before his legs colapsed under him and he was sent tumbling to the ground. He didn't have the strength to get back up. He closed his eyes and was slowly dragged into an agonizing sleep by his weary mind.

        "Do you think this guy is ever gonna wake up, Sam? He has been asleep a long time." Was the first thing Naku heard as he drifted back out of his long slumber. He could feel that he wasn't on the ground anymore. He was on a soft bed, and someone was poking at his side, which hurt his bruised skin. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he could see was the blanket which covered his body and his two-toed feet at the end of the bed.( Instead of five small toes, Hexians only had two large toes which helped them balance well enough on their home planet's rocky enviroment.)

        "Hey, he woke up!" Said the small voice again. Naku turned his head just enough to see the young girl that was poking his side. She was a skinny girl dressed in clothes that were at least two sizes to big for her. She had pale skin and light brown hair that came down to her shoulders. Her face kind of reminded Naku of Leena. Naku could tell she was a Kalimnian from her black eyes.

        "Hello, person. I'm glad your finally awake, I was waiting for ever!" She exclaimed happily. Naku wondered how she knew his language, but then remembered that the chip the hexian military had installed in his spine tansformed all alien languages into hexian words, and made hexian words into alien language for the other to hear, and made it possible for the hexian to comunicate to all known species.

        "Tani, Don't bother the boy." Said a male voice in the next room.

        "Oh Sam, I'm not bothering him, I'm just talking!" Tani said huffily.

        Sam entered the room. He was a tall brown headed Kalimnian that had the same features to him as Tani.Naku assumed that they were related. "Go tell the elder he is awake."He said to Tani.

        As The girl raced out of the room Sam looked at Naku and said, "We were worried that you weren't going to wake up. Your wounds were very bad. "

        Naku sat up in the bed. "How long have I been asleep?"

        "It has been three days since we first found you. Before that, I don't know how long you slept." Sam said, sitting down in a chair in front of the bed.

        "Three days?" Naku said in shock. He hadn't imagined that he had been out for that long. He wondered where the Captian and the others were now, and if they were even still close to his current postition.

        Sam nodded. "A farmboy of the town has been taking care of you. My sister and I were just here to watch you while he was taking a bath in the nearby lake."

        A bath in the lake?!? Oh, right I forgot ,Naku thought to himself, The Kalimnians are an underdeveloped race. The do not even have indoor plumbing...

        "Forgive me, where are my manners. My name is Sam. My sister who just left is Tani."

        Naku looked up at Sam. "I'm Naku."

        Sam blinked a few times then looked down at Naku's feet. "So Naku, what exactly are you? We have never seen a person such as yourself. There is silver in your eyes and your feet are strangly shaped."

        Naku thought for a quick second. The race might not believe that he came from another planet, or it might cause a panic that he couldn't handle without the hexian army he came with. "Well, I uh..."

        "Do you come with the metal birds that landed on the Flareh Cliffs? That is what the Elder expected."

        Metal birds? They must mean our battleships... "Yes thats right. Those uh, metal birds and I are from the uh...Northern region."

        "North? You mean you are from Chesla! That explains alot. We have never had much contact in that continent..."

        Naku relaxed. Now he just had to keep up with this Chesla story and he wouldn't have to worry about explaining anything before he found Captain Shima again. "Um, I'm grateful for this town's help in getting me well, but I need to get back to the people I flew here with."

        "Right, I know you must be anxious to get back to your people, but you must speak with the elder first. Also, you need to see Flip before you go. He is the one who took care of you all this time after all."
        
        Naku nodded. Just then Tani came running in. "Sam, the elder says he will talk to him tonight," She said, jumping onto the edge of the bed. "In the meantime, we need to go help mamma with the fields today."

        "Oh yeah, I forgot. Naku, Why don't you go walk around a little while. It might do you some good to get some exercise." He got up and started walking out. Tani got off the bed and waved at Naku, then followed her brother.

        After a few seconds Naku got up and grabbed a shirt that was hanging on the post of the bed and put it on. He looked around for his boots and found them near the front door. Whoever this Flip person was, he liked to keep things nice around his house. He had cleaned Naku's boots, his shirt, and everything around the house was also clean. Though it was neatly kept, the house had a strange look to it. There were crystals shaped as animals snd such all around the place. Everything was either wooden or black and green. Symbols were painted in what seemed to be a random formation along the walls. Jewelry, in both women and men's styles, were hung everywhere for decorations, and there were strange puppies and kittens roaming around the house.

        After getting away from one of the kittens that was following him, Naku slipped out the front door. He looked around. It was a small town with small cabins and gardens in the front yards. Things seemed quiet, simple, and pleasent as the Kalimnians were walking down the street and greeting each other as they passed by.

        Naku walked down the street. The kalimnians all looked at him, but not in fear or anger. They all welcomed him to their town and one little girl even ran up to give him a carrot as he passed. He gladly took it, being very hungry from not eating in three days, and munched on it as he walked along.

        When he got up to the edge of town he wondered where the lake was that Flip was sopposed to be at. He asked an elderly woman that was picking weeds out of her garden.

        "Ah, you mean kremi lake. Its just a ways that way dearie." She said pointing to the west. Naku thanked her and started walking in that direction. When he got to the lake, there was no one around. He walked up and saw a pair of black pants and a green top. Man is this guy fascinated with black and green or what? he thought.

        As he looked to the lake there was a huge splash in the middle of the water as the boy came up for air. Naku was wide eyed in shock when he finally got to look at Flip. His hair was black and his eyes were piercing blue. He had a feminin look to his face and his torso, and his ears were abnormaly long and pointed. Naku couldn't believe it. Its him, its the LuCana! He looks nearly exactly like the etchings. Oh what a fortunate fall!I have the best bad luck ever...

        Flip finally looked up at him, blinked for a moment, then smiled. "Oh so you woke up. Sorry I wasn't there," he said as he got out of the lake. He stood there in his swimming trunks let the water drip off of him. "I'm Flip. Course Tani and Sam already probably told you my name. What should I call you?"

        "Naku is my name," Naku said, not being able to tear his gaze away from the dragon boy's crystal eyes.

        Tir smiled again."Does my appearence stun you? It does most. As you can tell, I am not a kalimnian."

        "Yes, you have color in your eyes. and you have a tail."

        Flip's tail waved behind him. "Not to mention my ears. My parents were dragon-kin."

        "I can tell."

        "And I can tell you aren't a kalimnian either....but that is none of my business," Flip said, grabbing up his clothes. "You must be hungry. Lets go to my house. I'll fix you something to eat before your visit with the elder tonight."

        "How did you know about that?" Naku asked.

        "Tani told me. She always runs up here to talk to me. Thats why I wear trunks when bathing. The water is too clear just to hide under it."

        They got to the house. Tani was standing next to the wooden fence surrounding the garden near the front door. "Hello Naku, hi Flip, are we going to have dinner now? I'm really hungry."

        Naku blinked and asked, "werent you helping your mom and brother in the fields?"

        "I couldn't do anything, and besides, I wanted to see Flip!" She said, hugging Flip's arm.

        Flip smiled. "Okay Tani, you can stay for dinner."

        "Yay!"

        She ran into the house followed by Flip and Naku. The puppies and kittens all gathered around Flip meowing and barking. "Alright babies, I'll feed you," he said.

        "Can I feed Oken this time Flip, pretty please?" Tani said picking up the smallest kitten there.

        "sure, Tani. You can feed him while I fix dinner." He said while putting food in the animal bowels. Flip then gave Tani a small bottle and she went and sat at the table while feeding it to the little kitten. Naku just watched all this from the couch in the corner. He had never known people so peaceful and loving. Hexians usualy would kick animals outside and tell the little girls that showed up to go back home, because they wouldn't want to share the food. Of course, food was more scarce on the home planets of hexians. Most common hexians didn't have any food to spare.

        Flip cooked a very big meal that day. Naku had never seen such a feast, outside of the palace walls that is. Tani and Naku eat up a storm. Flip didn't eat as fast, but ate as much as they did. After that Tani went home and Flip cleaned up the mess. Naku tried to help, but he had never done such things before. All he had to do on hexia VI was put the dishes in the washer. Here they had to scrub and rinse and eveything just to use them again! Naku had gotten frustrated with a plate and accidently broke it. He looked at Flip, expecting to see him angry, but instead he was wearing the same happy expression as usual.

        "I see you aren't used to doing such things. You must have had a maid to do it for you where you come from," he said while cleaning up the broken dish. Naku didn't expect the LuCana to be such a nice person, but then again his soul was asleep. Any personality can hinder itself in a dormant soul.What Naku saw in front of him was a mere shell that didn't even know it wasn't the actual Person.

        "Uh, yes, the maids did everything at my...palace.I didn't do much of anything really. "

        Flip put the broken pieces up on the table. "Do not worry about it, I will find some use for the pieces. We had better get to the elder now. Sometimes he can be quite impatient. "

        As they walked down the street Naku wondered how he was going to be able to get Flip to the Captain. He didn't want to just come back to get him later. Kalimna was a rather large planet, and hexian maps didn't cover all the regions yet. It would be too easy to loose the position of the town.Plus if Naku was able to single handedly bring in the LuCana, he would earn not only the soldiers respect, but Captain Shima's also. That would be a great accomplishment to Naku. To him, Captain Shima was the only one left in the army that still had honor and dignity, and he respected him more than the king himself.

        Flip stopped at the largest of the cabin in the town and turned to look at Naku. "The Elder is the oldest and wisest in the area. Please show respect when in his house. "


        Naku nodded and they walked in. It was a dark, spacious cabin lit by a few candles that were around the room. Pillows were scattered about instead of furniture. Flip sat down on one of the pillows and motioned for Naku to do the same. When he did, a tall young looking man stepped out of the far room and walked over to sit down in front of them.

        "Welcome," he said. His black eyes, slightly hidden behind a few blonde strands of hair that had fallen in his face, scanned over Naku. "I have been expecting you two."

        "How are you feeling Elder?" Flip said in a respectful voice toward the young looking gentlemen that sat before them.

        "Wha! You mean this guys the elder?!?" Naku said, forgetting his manners. Flip and the man both chuckled at him.

        Flip stopped himself from chuckling anymore and said with some tone of amusement in his voice, "I never said the elder looked his age, Naku. He is an immortal after all."

        Naku's face was red with embarrasment. "Oh." Naku had forgotten about the few "immortal" Kalimnians that hexians had found on their last reseach trip there. They had taken them back for expiraments, but none of the scientists could find out why they were not aging naturaly.It seemed as though their bodies had stopped aging as soon as they were at growth climax. After a few years of being in the cold labs of Hexia, the expiraments on their aging process stopped, and they were destroyed.

        "Sam has informed me that you came with the metal birds as we had suspected. He also said that you wish to find your people as soon as possible." The Elder spoke to Naku in a soft voice, but there was some concern in his tone.

        Naku had to think of something fast."Thats correct. We are on a pilgramige, and I do not wish to miss anything. Is there any way I can travel up the cliffs to get to the metal birds?"

        "No, I'm afraid not. They are far too steep, and you cannot go around them for they stretch for miles. This best way is to find the people you were traveling with. Travelers from the near village of Cashimi told me that they had seen a very large group of men dressed like you heading south of their town. Since no one else on the continent dresses in this way, it is no doubt your people. You should start traveling as soon as possible if you are to reach them." The elder looked at Flip. "Flip, since I do not think Naku knows this land well enough to travel alone, I would like you to accompany him on his journey."

        Flip bowed his head and said,"of course elder." He looked at Naku. "If he wishes it that is."

        Naku nodded silently as he thought to himself, This is perfect, I can't believe how well things are going!

        That next morning Flip and Naku were setting out to find the army. Tani and Sam met them at the edge of town.

        "I'll be sure to take care of all your animals Flip!" Tani exclaimed.

        "Thank you Tani. You be a good girl and take care of your mom and brother."

        Tani smiled. "Oh I will. And just you watch Flip, by the time you get back I'll be taller than you!"

        "Hey," Flip said with a fake sad voice, "just because I'm short doesn't mean you should make fun of me."

        "Aww, don't worry about it, Flip, I'll still marry you even though I'll have to bend down just to give you a kiss."

        Sam picked his little sister up. "Tani, there is no way that Flip wants to marry you."

        "Hey thats not true, Flip and I are going to get married when I'm older! Right Flip?...Flip?"

        Flip was already far ahead of Naku and walking vary fast. "Sorry, can't talk, gotta move! Hurry up Naku before she gets free."

        Naku just laughed and followed Flip into the woods.

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