Sharakkah, the warrior and Roki (part1) - Inception / (Short story series)

 The twin suns were setting on the pale reddish horizon. The glowing balls of fire had just called it a day. The sky was scantily covered in yellowish-white clouds which looked like enormous tufts of cotton suspended high above the country of Grenecia. Some even resembled vague figures which the mind of  an Angola was to able to envisage. The climate was hot just like any other day and a dull wind was blowing across the land from the nearby Red Lake. Red Lake was actually a sea. No one knew how it came to be called a lake. Maybe the ancestors at the dawn of civilization didn't have a word in their limited vocabulary to describe an enormous water body!

Xosha  peered at the skies thoughtfully standing at the entrance of her house. "This is the thirty- fifth day since, Sharakkah has left for battle", said Taiki to Xosha.  Taiki was a sturdy, bald-headed man with a greyish - white beard and thick eyebrows. He was 28 years old and  was stronger than most of the Angolas of his age. Taiki lost his left leg in a battle many years ago which incapacitated him and forced to give up his profession as a swordsman in the mighty Grenecian army. Nevertheless being a man of his stature and experience he had found a job as the chief officer in charge of the school where young Grenecians were trained and subsequently deployed into the army. He had been married to Xosha for 14 years.

"Yes and that's what is making me lose my sense of tranquility" said Xosha in a feeble voice.  Xosha was a short, fair and thin lady who had almond shaped eyes and a pointed nose. "I know he is the best of the warriors this country has ever seen but to me he is not just a warrior, he is my blood and as a mother I just can't  help but worry about my son" she said. Taiki was able to understand his wife's plight . But he knew Sharakkah was invincible for he had never seen anyone who was so proficient in the art of warfare and at the same time so eager to die. There were many instances when Taiki sincerely felt that Sharakkah was more than an Angola he even thought that he was a God disguised as an Angola sometimes! Even as a child Sharakkah simply had no fear. Taiki always believed that a good soldier must love death and not fear it , for in the midst of battle, it is not the enemy but his own fear that incapacitates a soldier. He concluded that it will be death's own misfortune to meet this unflinching victor eye to eye.  Last but not least Sharakkah had his pet dragon, Roki with him. He muttered "besides there is no way that monster is going to let him die!". Xosha chuckled at Taiki's statement. A feeling of optimism lit up her grim face as she gazed at Roki's paddock. A rush of memories unfolded before her mind's eye, taking her back in time to Sharakkah's childhood days.

It was around twilight on a summer day. Xosha was chopping wood to be used as fuel for cooking for the next week when young Sharakkah exclaimed, "Mama! Look what I've found!" Xosha turned towards the sound of Sharakkah's voice and saw that he had brought home a strange creature which was the size of a goat. It had a head that looked like that of a snake's with very big eyes and a tongue that protruded out of it's mouth which had razor sharp teeth.  It's body had scales which resembled those of a fish and two wings which it fluttered  in fright when little Sharakkah  pulled at it with the help of a rope  in order to drag it towards his house. Though at first Xosha didn't approve, the boy's incessant demand finally forced her to let him keep the creature. Sharakkah named him Roki, which in Grenecian means "little brother". He loved Roki so much that he spent all his days and nights with the creature. Xosha started to like the creature too as it returned  Sharakkah's love ten fold. Both of them grew up like real brothers. But Taiki never liked Roki. For some reason he thought the creature's name sounded similar to his' and that hurt his pride. In addition to that that it's constant peeing and pooping made the entire household stink, in spite of the couple's constant cleaning. The paddock was only built later after the creature grew enormously big! The creature was shabby and to a man like him who preferred cleanliness and orderliness the creature just wasn't congenial.

Her lips formed a smile as she thought about those days. Her eyes suddenly widened and her lips uttered the word "Sharakkah" in joy when she heard a high pitched cackling noise in the distance. It was Roki! Sharakkah was finally returning home....

- End of part 1/3