local settlement date 35,989
Stop waiting.
King Namor Zujahrah
12 ambushing tax collectors
King Namor, Zauqir and Barbaralba sat together to eat breakfast and have their last meal at the Old Man's soup kitchen before departing for the other side of the desert.
They were sipping a second brew when King Rosh came in with the Old King and Namor's two closest brothers, King Jimus and King Luvuck.
"King Namor. I have found something about your space."
"Please join us for a brew. Allow me to introduce you to my friends."
It was obvious to everyone that the world they found themselves in was changing fast. Something was falling away and in the Old Man's soup kitchen it could be seen as a good thing.
Though Zauqir had no reason to remember or recognize King Rosh, King Rosh knew Zauqir. He stood while the others sat and looked between Zauqir and Namor.
"King Namor. Do you know that you sit at this table with your natural father."
He did not. He looked at Zauqir.
"Are you called Turan."
"That was my royal family given name. Until I left the castle. I can still answer to it. Outside the castle I prefer to be called Zauqir."
Barbaralba laughed. Namor looked at her and Zauqir. He was not certain if he was at all in control of the events that seemed to decide for him what he was and who that made him.
The Old King handed King Namor the book. Log EDAD 26,424 RFISS _ 06
"What is this. What is RFISS."
"Royal Family Imperial Star Ship."
"Star Ship."
"Space ship. Ships that leave planets to go to other planets around a different star."
Namor opened the book. Not so different than the patent books but from his first quick scan it seemed there was an element of story told by and about, obviously the royal family. If it was their ship and their log.
"Bleeding Beast. This should be impossible. I mean it means anything might be. Could this be real. Or is it fiction made to look real. For if it is what it says it is."
"Yes, King Namor. If it is what it says it is. If space weapon patents are real. If fish, grass and grain patents are real. Perhaps there was a ship that carried the weapons."
"Bleeding Beasts."
Namor attempted to look up to the sky but from where he sat there was very little of it to be seen. The light from it filled the soup kitchen so that he knew that it was there. It was a large leap to imagine a ship that left one planet to go to another. In the world he knew, it was fiction.
"Namor. King Namor."
Namor felt Barbaralba's grip on his arm.
"Old King. Help me here. I have lost my reference point."
The old king had already given it much thought and research.
"Well my good King Namor. I think what you have discovered in digging out the lost library in less than two years, is the knowledge that the Royal Family was in space a little more than 36,000 years ago. They, we, likely came here."
"Well obviously we are here. So either we came here or we were already here."
"Yes, King Rosh, obviously we are here. It is one thing that can not be disputed with sound logic. But as King Namor has been persistent to show. At one time we weren't. There was a time before the castle. And not only is his idea very true and obvious, though we have been too ignorant to see it. We in all likeliness have come from another planet. We have left it for a reason that I can not guess and fear to speculate and came here perhaps for no other reason than here was good for us."
"How does it make anything different."
"Everything is already different. Our level of technology is nowhere near space technology and there might be a spacecraft on this planet. There is the possibility that this is fiction. However, it is far too tedious to have been written as entertainment."
"Bleeding Beast. I can't imagine it. I need another brew."
"Take the castle down."
Everyone looked at Barbaralba. She stood up.
"I have a few things to do before we go."
Zauqir stood also.
"Don't leave without me."
"We won't."
Zauqir smiled and went to finish the business he had to finish. Mostly the business saying his blessings to friends and closing up his city wall apartment.
"I'm coming with you, King Namor."
"We are coming with you."
"King Rosh. Jimus. Luvuck"
"We are not blind, King Namor. The Drave meant what she said. And I have seen that the Draves put their hope in you. And my dear nephew and King. I am perfectly board with the Castle. Your Drave may be right. We have come to be in your service. And we will not be frightened away by Draves who have survived our games."
"It is war, my brothers. My uncle. It always was. It is coming back at the castle now. It has been stretched as far as it will go and now it is coming back. I don't know what it means but I know that our castle days are over."
"May I have a word before you all rush off to find a war."
The Old King unfolded a map to show Namor.
"Yes, Old King, please speak."
"I've studied these river plans."
The King looked up to see if he had the attention of Namor.
"This should be simply impossible."
"What isn't."
"This water system can not be natural. Thirty-six large rivers all from one point. And salt lakes that flow toward the ocean."
"I've heard that the salt lakes are there and rivers we have all seen. But there is desert out there. I don't think you will find trees beyond the Drave village."
"It shouldn't be there. The desert."
"Old King. War is coming. It is unbelievable your plans, this book. All these books. They must be taken out of Castle City. We must protect them until we understand them."
"Where to."
"For now, they will have to be stored in the village."
"The Royal Family. King Namor. Will not want to give up the castle."
"It is too late. We must try to save what we can. The books and the plants."
"The plants."
Namor talked to the Old King until it was time to go. Explaining what the King already knew. Then he bid him farewell.
King Rosh, Jimus and Luvuck followed King Namor.
When they were in the middle of the street, King Namor turned to face his uncle and brothers.
"Kings of the Royal Family. I am the Drave King. If you come with me, you will be trained to kill tax collectors. I can see no other reason for this journey."
The Royal Family Kings looked at him. They knew if they went back to the Castle to repeat what King Namor had said, no one would believe them.
"King Namor, I've never given much thought to how anything was. It suited me. I've never been obsessed or passionate or believe in anything. I love your mother. I think you need my help and if you don't tie me down, I will follow you."
"We are with you, Brother. We know that you are the King of Kings."
Zauqir and Barbaralba stood waiting watching to see what the kings had in mind. Barbaralba had her eye on Zauqir's sword but Zauqir had his arms folded and smiled like he was waiting to take his children on a vacation.
"I am coming with you. King Rosh of the Royal Family. Uncle of King Namor. And protector."
"King Jimus of the Royal Family. Brother and protector of King Namor."
"King Luvuck of the Royal Family. Brother and protector of King Namor."
Zauqir laughed. Barbaralba frowned but did not object to the odd turn of events.
The proclamation of the Royal Kings had been made. Outside the castle they seemed quite absurd. But they were clear. Had they intended to bring an end to the campaign there was no need to cross the desert to do it. And the many days journey over the desert was started. With an army of six. They were watched by every Drave they passed on the way out of village 36. None failed to wonder at the three Draves and the three Royal Family. An event which should have been impossible.
When they were not moving, Barbaralba taught her little army Royal Family patented war strategies. It was understood what chaos would take over Castle City when the tax collectors did not return from their land runs. It came as a surprise that the castle was so vulnerable.
Barbaralba's objective was to ambush the empty caravans when they crossed the first river after six days riding over the hot desert.
They practiced their shooting with bows. Barbaralba taught them how to make bows and arrows and they had made many arrows and they had learned and practiced communicating. They watched the movements of the caravans as they came and went.
Barbaralba directed them in every move. Like it was a dance.
When she felt that her small army was ready, they set up for their first caravan ambush. Barbaralba climbed down out of a tree.
"They are coming. Take your positions and stay invisible."
The caravan of beasts of burden pulling large wagons made its way over the last bit of desert. The animals kicked up a cloud behind them that appeared to go before them. From where the little ambush army waited, they could watch the tax collectors approach with obvious rejoicing.
The weapons and ammunition were prepared. When the tax collectors were close, everyone was in their positions. They would wait till Barbaralba signaled that the time was right. Patience she had told them. Do not act until the time is right.
The tax collectors led their animals to the river and climbed down from their wagons.
Barbaralba looked at Namor. She pulled back on her string. Namor pulled back on his string and looked to see Zauqir do the same. Rosh, Jimus and Luvuck pulled back on their stings. And at once, six arrows hit tax collectors. They did not understand it. Arrows kept coming. Two of the tax collectors drew their swords but did not know what to do. The arrows came from all directions. The tax collectors lay down and died.
None of the animals had been hit. Barbaralba's army had acquired a surplus of swords, knives and leathers after stripping the tax collectors, recovering any usable arrows.
The naked nameless tax collectors were dragged to the middle of the river to be dragged away by the flow. Some creatures, large or small, winged, furred, finned, shelled or not, would remove the flesh from the bones.
"Namor. King Namor."
Namor was watching the last tax collector slide down the river with a lingering blood film dropping from his wounds. Clouding the water.
"Namor."
He looked at Barbaralba. She was standing in front of him.
"It's over for now."
"I feel cold."
"We'll make a fire."
Barbaralba pulled on Namor's fingers. He looked up to see Rosh and Zauqir. His brothers were leading the animals over the shallowest part of the river.
"Come."
They returned down the river to Zauqir's hut. There was space enough for animals and wagons. Under the shade of large trees. The sun was still reflecting off the river as they started their evening fire.
They talked of the significance of what was happening. When the food was ready they forgot about the ambush and talked of the sky and the idea of coming from it. It was a nice juxtaposition to wondering if the river was red from the sun or the blood of tax collectors.
On days when tax collectors were not expected, they practiced fighting with wooden swords or shooting arrows.
After each ambush, every five or six days, they walked the same path back to Zauqir's hut and ever larger farm. Each ambush adding to their animals and weapons.
When the time was approaching that the tax collectors of gate 36 would be missed, Barbaralba started explaining how they would arm and train Draves to cut off all thirty-six tax collector routes. Barbaralba's army would set Castle City into a chaos panic.
Without any question or answer about the topic, Namor and Barbaralba slept beside each other each night. There had been no occurrence that would indicated they were to be lovers, it had simply happened like it did. They did not once kissed but Namor had the smell of Barbaralba's head in his nose every night. And often her warmth.
"Barbaralba."
Barbaralba opened her eyes and rolled over to see Namor looking up into the sky.
"King Namor."
"There are two full moons in the sky. It is almost like day."
Barbaralba did not look at the sky. She waited till Namor looked at her. She reached up to touch his face.
"Drave King. Do you know what is best about two moons."
"Seeing you smile at me."
Barbaralba laughed.
"Come, Drave King. Let's go swimming."
"Swimming."
"It is very pretty in the water with so much moon light."
Barbaralba was already standing up. Bathing in the light of the dwindling fire and the two moons. She could see that Namor was watching all of her. Caressing her with his eyes. She reached out her hand.
"Come."
Barbaralba lead Namor down to the river. Fourteen tax collectors had taken their last journey down the river earlier in the day. Barbaralba and Namor both looked along the shore for bodies. There were none.
Barbaralba pressed herself against Namor and waited for him to kiss her. Namor responded with gentle hesitation. He had wanted her kiss since he had seen her. She dug her fingers into his back. He pulled her hips up to him. He felt her teeth on his neck. She felt his hands consume her body. He felt her. Namor was not certain where he started and Barbaralba ended. If he was her making love to him. Or if he was simply aware of two wild beasts smelling, licking and copulating with no regard for the rest of everything. He was permitted to watch from inside of the event.
Namor saw the angel of Barbaralba. It was a timeless creature. A creature that would see a day little different than a thousand generations. A strange thing to see but somehow it was the her that made her what she was. It sighed. She, the beast creature of flesh and violence, sighed.
Barbaralba laughed and kissed Namor.
"Come swimming with me."
"Barbaralba. There is a you in you that. There is something more than the beast."
"I am an angel. For a Book King you are some times a little slow to see."
"That's what I see. But I don't know how it can be real. I have seen so many cut down and turned to meat."
"It's the life in us Namor. Life is magic. And love is the strongest magic. The beast is what we are. Have become. Still are. It does not matter. Tonight we have both moons full and the river cool and the air warm."
She kissed him. Then dove under the surface and swam under water to the other side of the river. Namor saw every muscle along her back as she moved. She swam back to the middle of the river and waited for Namor.
"Come, my King."
Namor swam out to Barbaralba and let her help him stay afloat. He was not a water creature. His family had been many generations imprisoned in the middle of the desert.
"Barbaralba. I've seen the animal in us. I can't make sense of it. Our ancestors were on a space ship. We are such brutal beasts and yet they made a space ship."
"Perhaps a space ship is not such a big achievement. I don't know, Namor. Until recently, most of everything I knew had something to do with fish. Now I am swimming with a Drave King who tells me we were on a space ship."
"A space ship with patents for fish."
"Nobody owns a fish until they catch it. Then it's not a fish anymore. It's meat."
"The space ship was a moving habitat for many people."
"Were there Draves too."
"I'm quite certain that we were all on the ship."
"Forget your space ship for now, King Namor, we have one more ambush then we will go to the ocean and catch a shark. Have a feast with my family. Where we are from matters only if we have the notion to think about where we are. And for the Draves it has been a place of rape and fear. For the tax collectors and royal family, plunder and party."
Namor and Barbaralba slept like wild beasts beside the river and were awakened by the news that a caravan was approaching.
There was plenty of time to prepare. They were well practiced from training and many ambushes. They were a little concerned about the size of the caravan. The little army had the advantage that the tax collectors were not prepared for the ambush. It was still impossible for Castle City or the tax collectors to know that gate 36 would soon receive no goods or Draves.
Barbaralba looked at her arrows and tested her bow. She watched the tax collectors approaching and looked around at the other five bow men. She and the kings and Zauqir might be forced to join Barbaralba in a battle with knives and swords. They had enough arrows but there were too many tax collectors.
She watched the tax collectors get down from their wagons to drink and bathe. They seemed to be on their guard. They were not quick to get into the water. Some were out of the water before the rest were in. She looked at Namor and pulled back on her string. The time was not going to get any better. A stream of arrows filled the tax collectors. Some of them ran, swinging their swords. Half of them were down but the rest were running. Running toward the arrow-shooting trees.
Barbaralba saw a tax collector running over the shallow part of the river toward her with an ax. About to throw it. Barbaralba put an arrow in her bow and aimed at her attacker. They released together. Barbaralba's arrow hit the tax collector in his eye. Barbaralba was moving out of the way of the ax but took the ax handle off her shoulder. Losing her balance and falling down the bank into the water.
She got up and looked for arrows. She had a knife but her sword was still leaning against the tree with the rest of her arrows. Barbaralba was pulling her third arrow out of a tax collector when she heard the thunder of an animal running toward her. The bank was too muddy and steep to climb out of the way. Her feet were being sucked at by the muddy floor of the river. She turned around and aimed for the animal's neck. She shot. Someone else had also hit it. A tax collector was coming from behind. Barbaralba shot the animal one more time then spun around putting her last arrow in her bow. She had spun too much to hold her balance but hit the tax collector in the neck. It was a lucky shot but they were not all dead.
The animal was slowing down to a crash behind her. Throwing a wave of water over Barbaralba and falling on her legs.
She was unhurt but trapped.
It took both her hands to hold her head above water.
"King Namor."
A tax collector with an arrow in him was approaching Barbaralba.
"King Namor."
Namor called out to the tax collector.
"Tax collector. I am King Namor. Lay down your sword."
Barbaralba heard King Rosh make his proclamations and Jimus and Luvuck repeated the orders.
The tax collector was standing over Barbaralba and was about to slice her neck. He turned to wonder about the voice of King Namor. He had heard the name. One of the few King Names he had ever heard of.
Barbaralba took a breath and fell under the surface so she could use her arms to pull her knife from its sheath on her leg.
The tax collector pulled her head up. He had another arrow in him and wanted to kill one last Drave.
Barbaralba drove her knife into his stomach and cut him to his ribs. With her teeth she held his wrist, tasting his blood. Not letting go until the knife was dropped and the tax collector fell on top of her.
She knew it was Namor's hand that reached for her next. He had to let go of her to fight a tax collector. Barbaralba got her head above water again, saw the tax collector stepping back and took the opportunity to use Namor's legs to pull herself free of the weight of the animal.
"King Namor. It is me. Frangen. Your host. You and your family's."
Barbaralba fought her way to her feet to see Namor and the last standing tax collector talking to Namor. Zauqir and Rosh stood behind the tax collector, ready to cut him down. But the tax collector had dropped his sword.
"Tell me what I am to do."
Zauqir saw the fight was over and cut the throat of the fallen animal to let it bleed.
"We do have more than enough to eat, should you chose to spare his life."
"It seemed highly inappropriate to kill a friend. This whole bloody business seems highly inappropriate."
"I will serve you as you direct me. I am a soldier of your army."
"It is her army. All six of us."
Namor looked at Barbaralba. She gave a very slight smile to tell Namor she knew what he was thinking and she would not object to his decision to take on another fighter. Namor embraced his friend.
"Let's gather the weapons and send the dead toward the ocean. There are Draves waiting for us to inform them why the tax collectors will no longer be coming to tax everything they have. If there are no reasonable objections, I think we can set out today."
There were no objections.
The trail to the ocean from where they were would take as much as eighteen days. With all the animals, Barbaralba's army would have to take the tax collector's trail. They would likely have to fight at least twice, against caravans overloaded with goods and Draves. And intoxicated tax collectors.
They travel until the sun set the first night and made a fire and untied the animals from their wagons so that they could find a place under a tree to rest for the night.
"My tax collector friend. The castle days are over."
"What has happen, my Drave King friend."
"If was a dream. Perhaps to recover from a long trip."
"A long trip from where."
"We were on a space ship. And travelled a great distance that no man or beast can perceive."
"Who was on the space ship."
"Everyone here. Perhaps everything here."
"What's a space ship."
Zauqir paid attention only to frying up large pieces of botain. The reddest, bloody meat one could get. If one could ever get it. Lately, many nearly impossible things seemed to be happening more often than normal.
Zauqir laughed.
"This, my unbelievable collection of friends, is some of the nicest meat on this space ship. Sink your beast teeth into it and you will understand why the gods chose to be us."
chapter 13
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