Indaesous and the Mist of Sand

By aSaint

Experience Indaesous, destruction, volcanos, wajjars, deserts, sentient beings, invasions, frageels, power struggles, and being a prince for one day...

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9780984954704

Book preview

Sand.

1 PRINCE ALEXANDER

Keep these unharmed.

What are they?

Les Mos, the Mist of Sand.

Alexander wasn’t fearful. He had heard rumors surrounding the unusual night capture but he was the son of King Ortlund. Alexander was raised fearing nothing and no one. Even that night, when he had heard terror in his father’s voice, Alexander was not afraid. As for the rumors, the rumors were absolutely true.

Present Day: Lator Palace

Alexander’s father, King Ortlund, had been pacing back and forth giving Alexander his lengthy lecture. When Alexander was a child, his father’s constant pacing distracted him. As he grew, he listened intently to the wisdom contained in his father’s long lectures.

Every great work is founded in its creator’s belief system (whether it is intended or not) – Alexander! What are you doing? His father glared at him as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

I’ve run out of writing room, Alexander explained, picking up a new piece of paper.

Put it down. He said. You must learn to preserve every element. You live in a prosperous time, but one day you must rule even if you have nothing left!

Yes, father. Alexander moved slowly to put the paper down. He didn’t want to risk further scolding.

Turn your paper over and use the other side. Now, where was I? He asked his only son.

Belief system.

Ah yes, what are you writing about? Let me hear how you have expressed your beliefs.

Prince Alexander began to recite what he had written, As the King’s son, I have a duty to preserve the royal line. I must do this at all costs. To accomplish this task, some decisions will be hard to make. However, there is one choice that will be quite easy to make. Alexander glanced at his father anticipating his next question.

And what is that choice, Alexander? His father peered curiously at him.

To pick out my first pair of Indaesous and train them as my own guardians. His father stopped in front of the window. Alexander watched his father’s silhouette sigh.

I should have known my clever son would trick me. You forced me into listening to your argument. You want to bring filthy animals into my kingdom.

Do you want to know what I wrote on the other side, father? He was enjoying this moment.

It depends. Is it going to cost me as much as the Indaesous?

No, I only wrote, ‘it is time to eat.’ This time, the silhouette shook its head in dismay.

It must be the age. All you can think about is food and animals.

It could be worse, father. He quipped. A gruff chuckle emerged deep from his father’s gut.

Don’t I know it?

Am I done, father? Alexander couldn’t stop his stomach from speaking its strange language.

Yes, it is time for us to eat. Usually, Alexander’s father stayed behind finishing his work. Those were the days Alexander could race around corners at optimum speed, but not today. Everyone would be watching his father and immediately know who it is that Alexander is – the Prince of Lator. His stomach was gurgling louder as the procession got slower. Luckily, the dining chambers were not that far from his father’s library. Otherwise, his father would have summoned an entourage of two hundred just to remind everyone else who he is – the King of Lator.

Colossal walls made of smooth granite were intermingled with rough sandstone. These immense decorative walls surrounded the dining chamber. Circular mirrors hung in a horizontal line around its complete circumference. His father told him a secret once about why he had hung the mirrors. He said, Sometimes, you must entertain your friends and your enemies. It is important to look each one in the eye but always know what each one is doing behind your back. The mirrors could reveal which one is which, friend or foe.

As they entered the room, steam rose from recently cooked food. Guests who were unaccustomed to their culture became paranoid thinking servants could read their minds. Whatever they wanted was always ready and waiting for them. Their paranoia developed into pride. Some firmly believed they had the power to control everyone around them. Based on that belief, they could have become great kings or warriors, not because they actually had power to control others, but because they developed confidence to influence others.

Alexander, on the other hand, knew the truth. In his culture, wajjars were used to communicate. Wajjars were water-filled jars used to create different tones and cadences to share secret wants and desires before visitors arrived. Important communication required more complex systems than just a water-filled jar; however, the entire kingdom communicated general information using Wajjars. Today, Wajjars had been used to summon cooks before they had left the library.

Meat on the table sizzled, as if it could anticipate his taste buds. What had cooks used to season the meat? Alexander’s stomach waited for honor to be given to his father before his lips could devour such goodness. Sometimes, Alexander disliked the fact a portion of his food had to be given to the Taste Tester. What if the Taste Tester was given the best part? Sometimes, it made him feel like he was getting leftovers.

Honey. The Taste Tester whispered in his ear. Irritated, Alexander diverted his face from his father so he could roll his eyes. The Taste Tester knew Alexander’s favorite part was guessing the secret ingredient. He told him just to annoy Alexander. He knew there was nothing Alexander could do – yet. Since his mental exercise had been ruthlessly taken from him, he focused his physical ability toward cutting meat in swift maneuvers. It helped Alexander to speed up the eating process. Once done, the Prince sat up straight, impatiently waiting for a signal from his father. Prince Alexander had no doubt his father would release him to discover his new champions, the Indaesous. Prince Alexander’s argument was valid. His father wouldn’t be able to refute it. Alexander was the same age now as when his father received his Indaesous. When Alexander had asked for his own pair in the library, his father’s graying beard sank lower into his chest, and Alexander had been worried he had upset him. Alexander was positive his request reminded his father how he had lost his pair in battle, but the King would eventually respect his decision. Alexander overheard his father say:

Look at my son, Sonja. He knows exactly what I’m going to do. How does he know me so well and yet those who have served me for decades know me not?

He is your son. You have taught him the art of observation. Alexander smiled at his royal grandmother’s response.

He is my greatest ally, but he has not yet reached the age of rebellion. If he is this strong and agile now, who will I have ruling beside me, my son or a defiant successor? Alexander knew his father already knew the answer to that question. His father usually conversed with his mother, Sonja the Queen Mother, during dining hours. As Alexander watched them, his father gestured for him to go. The Prince now had permission to travel to the Barein Cliffs to discover his Indaesous pair. Alexander went as fast as protocol allowed, winking in their general direction before disappearing from their sight. In the hallway, Alexander overheard his grandmother say,

One thing is certain; he has your playfulness, Ortlund.

I would call it pride before I would call it playfulness, his father grumbled.

He has that too, dear. She chuckled.

Present Day: Journey to Breeder Land

The Indaesous were not your typical breed of animals. It was not their fault really; their Breeders were unique species themselves. Who else could create a fearless and tireless hunter, an animal whose breath heated a cave, or skin dimly lit the way in the dark? All these features were bred for ages past. Each Breeder’s generation strove to add new features into the Indaesous’ bloodline. Through it all, Indaesous continued to prove their worthiness, not only for their abilities, but also for their affectionate tendencies toward their masters. The animals effortlessly understood commands and their ability was legendary. It enabled their masters to be strategic warriors. It made sense; a great warrior would have a great Indaesous Guardian protecting him. Alexander knew he was destined for such greatness.

As he ventured toward Breeder land, he determined Breeders to be a demanding race, full of do’s and don’ts. Breeders believed there were a right way and a wrong way of accomplishing tasks. It was worse being around them than in the stuffy rigid palace. Today, the Prince had bathed in Patience Herbs. Patience Herbs were supposed to fill him with patience but it didn’t work. However, it was an aroma designed just for him and was different than everyone else’s. It would make his Indaesous pair recognize him. He’d have to muster up his own patience for dealing with rigid Breeders. Ironic how a race of species (who demanded everyone else to act, communicate, and live a certain way) wouldn’t soon be driven away by the majority. On Lator, however; that was not the case. Everyone conformed to the Breeder way – but only while they were present.

Rising from somewhere far beneath his father’s kingdom, stood the Barein; a once desolate volcano surrounded by rocky cliffs shooting down into the basin below. Alexander was now in Breeders’ land. In a joint project between his father and Breeders, waterways were constructed to navigate toward Barein Cliffs surrounding its volcano. Waterfalls streamed over rocky cliffs down into the volcano’s basin. A Lator man-made river carried fallen water into lush landscape miles away. The Lator man-made design helped replenish the land, but the volcano still looked like its name sounded, ‘barren.’

By the time Alexander made it to the Barein Cliffs, blue Dusk Lights were being uncovered around the volcano’s surface. Dusk Lights were blue, flickering like flames, but were not hot. The entire volcano flickered with Dusk Lights. It was the same glowing substance excreted by Indaesous’ skin. He had traveled this way many times; he knew what was in the shadows waiting for him. Hundreds of Indaesous protected Barein Cliffs. Alexander had passed into their territory just before sunset. The Breeders made it quite clear only friends were allowed to approach their home. Only their friends knew the safe path through dense forests, winding waterfalls, and stalking Indaesous. To veer from the path meant certain death. It was just not certain how you would die, or when. This was part of the animals’ training ground. This was the Breeders way, all or nothing, right or wrong, life or death.

Once the Prince crossed the Rog River, Furieux met him. Furieux, one of the oldest and largest Indaesous, had the ability to glow at night. Unlike the others, he glowed red and