The Incredible Jaki: Dark Second Sun – Part 1 of 3
Copyright © 2013 by D.e.e.L
Cover Art by D.e.e.L
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of a brief quotation embodied in critical articles and/or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Dedicated to sleepless nights
The Incredible Jaki:
Dark Second Sun –
Part 1 of 3
A bitter sun snaps brisk pain to his shoulders as he walks; his hat shadowing his face, cane taming his limp. Jaki’s leg healing slowly to wounds endured. The village miles away can be seen, but is still so far. He travels on, hoping to make it before any Jaldees claim him as theirs. Jaldees, those scavengers of the sky, wait in hiding, glaring into Jaki’s heart, waiting for it to thump its final beat.
He spits to the sand the last drop from his mouth and a fly splashes to the dust. The village will have food, water, and hatred. Jaki has no choice, it’s them or him and he is tired, sick, and destined.
They shout for him to go away, the Goto tribe begs him to leave. For they recognize him, they know that Grall searches for this man, the one man that can overthrow Grall, the ruler of the lands, the killer of colonies, the man with no identity. Nobody knows why Grall hates Jaki so, but they know that Grall’s anger burns darker than the second sun. The face of this man, this hero, is plastered all over every hut and hole. Jaki raises his hand for silence and lowers his other to present a wealthy coin in exchange for nourishment. The tribe sees his intentions and decides to help this man; they think that maybe, just perhaps, he can end Grall’s rule and set things right, they all crave to worship the first sun again.
None question Jaki’s request, though seeming odd, they bring him only water and Jaldee eggs. He cooks them over a flame as he sits on the bare ground, hot sand burning from the second sun. Though it forces light to the land it drives all the animals, as well as any weak minded two legged walkers, to go mad. Grall knows this, he laughs at it, which is why he has made it happen. The first sun shunned by the second – a dark incarnation of Grall’s soul pushes his disgust to the sky. Members of the Goto tribe peek out from their huts; begin to move in closer to the most feared man on Handor other than Grall. Most think him to have vile powers, magic beyond imagination, for why else would Grall detest him so.
Once finished Jaki stands and nods to the surrounding tribe. Then off, off again and seeking further. He promises to rid the second sun, that the animals will once again aid the Goto tribe instead of suffering it. They cheer, they all cheer for Jaki – the incredible man that can save them all.
He knows of the arrow crafted by the purest heart, broken and buried to each side of the massive Handor surface. He also knows that a piece has been found by an old beggar a few more miles from where he now strides. Having that piece will help lead to the second. A bow crafted by a Gypsy from the Franto village could plunge that arrow into the second sun. He will head there after obtaining the first piece, thus proving his intentions and obtaining their trust and aid. Jaki sips the last drop of water from his hollowed horn as the second sun begins to burn brighter.
Off in the distance there are slaves approaching, carrying a man in a carriage. Jaki smirks, pulls his dagger from his belt, sits and waits. Upon their passing a man emerges from the carriage window to spit into the lost traveler’s eyes, but Jaki raises his hat, moves quickly, cuts the heels of the slaves and watches the carriage fall. They cry out in pain. Jaki drops a sack of Ket leaves; the men pull them from the sack and brush them across their wounds, healing them slowly. With his knife he threatens the one fallen from his perch. He leaves with enough food and water to reach where the old beggar is said to be decaying.
His food catches the attention of a pack of Wargs. Usually numbering in the dozens this pack has been attacked; now only six remain. Though low in numbers, they still must feed. The pack quickly circles Jaki, they snarl as he sighs; a hindrance to the journey that must be dealt with. With dagger in hand he stares into the eyes of the pack leader. Wargs are normally grey, scaly skin, but the pack leader is always a bright red. If he is ever killed another rises up, turning red to take command of the pack. This leader is young, but not weak in appearance, it is likely he has recently become the leader, certainly due to the attack that caused them to be in such low number. The red Warg barks and they all leap at once. Swift hand wrapped tight around a dulling dagger sweep them from the air, slam them to the ground, drop them to their shadows. With each grey gone, only the red still stares. The red will never give up, always pushing, proving itself. It leaps and Jaki spares its life, grabbing it by the neck and thrashing it to the ground, pinning it down and staring into its eyes. He lets a tear fall, places food into the Warg’s mouth. Nods, and releases it. A Warg is a noble creature that are not known for attacking travelers, even in full pack, but the second sun has warped their minds, forced them into delusion. Jaki’s kind heart has broken the hold of the second sun; the red Warg gets up from the ground, back on all fours, and bows to Jaki. An ally such as a commanding Warg would most certainly prove to be a gift. He places his hand upon the Warg’s head and calls the name Dekinari – meaning “Warrior of the first sun”. With a new friend by his side Jaki pushes forward to the first piece of the arrow.
The second sun never rests; there is no darkness to the surface, no peaceful blackening night. Jaki and Dekinari reach the rumored location of the old beggar that possesses a piece of the legendary arrow. A desolate village crushed by time and endless day. Few still live here; few still thrive anywhere that was once bliss. Those that did not make a leave in time have left only bones, picked by scavengers such as Jaldees and Wargs. Cradles, rocks crafted into modest toys, all lay about the ground outside of huts caving in. Dekinari runs off toward a scent as Jaki searches remains, looking for the man he has come so far to find.
A howl tells him that the red Warg has found something. He rushes toward the call and finds an old man, grasping onto life, holding the piece of the arrow up to his eyes. The piece is bright green; it shines bright within the dark hut. It is said that once the bright green and dark blue pieces of the arrow are united that a blinding white light will join them together once again. A steady hand pours water to the old beggar’s tongue, only to wet the lips and body for final words. With his fingers Jaki pulls down the eyelids of the great man. He pats the head of Dekinari, stands up, exits the hut with the piece in hand.
Walking about the village he gets an odd sense of things. Then, he sees the yellow eyes within a hut’s shadows. Lost souls, two-legged walkers of the land that have lost touch with the surface, given up on hope, and condemned themselves to darkness. With the second sun they cannot attack, otherwise they would surely yearn for Jaki’s pure blood. Once one becomes a lost soul their spine shrivels, their eyes lose their pupils and burn yellow tormenting pain, and they desire only blood from the hopeful to survive. It seems like agony, sounds so painful, but those that have lost hope no longer see need for anything else. An eager one stares at Jaki, who stands outside staring back. The lost soul rushes from the hut, wanting so much to drink pure blood once again, but the light of the second sun renders it to dust within seconds. The others cower in the darkness as Jaki passes, moving onto the villag
e of the Gypsy’s in order to obtain a bow powerful enough to launch the completed arrow into the second sun. Dekinari stops to growl at the yellow eyes, they whimper, huddling up together in the darkness.
Modest food and water make for a need to acquire more nourishment for the journey. There isn’t enough to last until the Gypsy village is reached. Jaldees occupy the sky once more, swirling in circles about the air, waiting for their prey to fall. Jaki looks up to the sky, looks over to Dekinari, and falls to the ground. Dekinari follows Jaki’s lead and does the same. The three Jaldees swoop instantly to the ground, their hunger outweighing their sense. Both Jaki and Dekinari pick their targets, quickly killing the Jaldees. Jaki lets his ally devour one as he puts the other two into his sack.
Yellow sand whips into the air as wind blows, hot gushing air that does little to cool the enduring travelers. Jaki rips flesh from the bone of a Jaldee while the red Warg spits small bones and light fur from its mouth. Though an immortal, Jaki can still fall weak, crash to the hot sands and never be able to stand, endlessly suffering for eternity.
In a hidden outpost servants of Grall spot the incredible Jaki. The reward for bringing in Grall’s worst enemy could make a man rich beyond worlds. There are ways to “kill” and immortal, separate the head from the body, of course the mind would keep ticking, the body longing for it to return, but both useless when apart. This is the way that Grall demands his enemy be delivered to him. The servants sharpen their daggers and spears.
Dekinari snarls, sniffs the air and nudges his friend’s leg. He senses the approaching trouble and stiffens his body, jutting with power each leg with every step.
They watch, noticing the Warg’s senses have given them away, they must attack as one. Taking out the red Ward will render the enemy helpless, alone he could not stand up to them, they are certain. In their numbers they are four. Heaping with power these servants patrol this outpost for any that defy their great master. For those that walk these sands without holding a man of high honor above them must be treated as criminals to the great master known as Grall.
Grall is a man, or so they say, who has been able to thrust an entire world into his grasp. His abilities are boundless, his powers being able to emerge a sun from nothing, turn rivers into dust, animals to madness, endless lives into slaves. With such power there are so many that instantly bowed, pledged their lives, honor him with prayer. There are also those that defy, who are turned to slaves, beaten and made example of. Villages abandoned, the once magnificent Handor dies more each day as the foolish ruler kills his world, laughing as he does it. It is known that only Jaki knows Grall’s true identity and that only Jaki is capable of ending this hellish rule. It is also known that any who are found helping Jaki will be dealt with harshly, and without mercy. Though there are still out there those with hope, those willing to sacrifice for the destined hero told in stories.
They look to each other and know that they must leap soon. First go for the Warg, then behead the traveler.
Dekinari snarls loudly, looks up towards Jaki and pushes his nose toward the direction of the servants in hiding. Jaki places his hand on his dagger’s handle, looks down at his ally and makes a face of understanding.
The four servants emerge from their hiding and the dagger is pulled from his belt and released from his hand, it places into the neck of the leading hopeful victor. Dekinari leaps backward as two of the men make an attack on him; he snaps his jaws and pounces onto one, slamming the servant to the ground. Jaki taunts his attacker as he keeps an eye on his friend. He leads the servant towards his fallen comrade so that he may retrieve his dagger. Once in his hand he makes space enough to release it once more. Without failure of aim he falls another one and runs to Dekinari’s aid, who has taken down one of the attackers hoping to take on the suspected lesser beast. Together the last standing stands no chance. Jaki places any food, tools from the bodies into his sack and the travelers once again push onward. Heat from the second sun is only growing; soon the once lush world of Handor will be nothing more than dust and torment.
The incredible Jaki, along with his faithful ally, press on with their journey to end the dark evil reign of the second sun and to diminish the power of Grall. The Gypsy village of Franto awaits them.
###END###
About the Author
D.e.e.L’s Links –
Blog
Twitter
Tumblr
Facebook
Goodreads
Wattpad
Note from the Author –
I hope you enjoyed this adventure of Jaki and that you look forward to the conclusion of the dark second sun chapter. I also have a Jaki story going on in Wattpad for free, showcasing small clips into Jaki’s origins. Thank you for reading!
Other works by D.e.e.L
Short Stories
According to the List
Devil
Poetry
Painted Mind
Red