Lord of Lesuorac

The light was fading fast as a forest green Jeep Wrangler made its way up a twisty dirt road, a cloud of dust being kicked up in its wake. The vehicle came to a stop at the edge of a line of thick pine trees. The engine was turned off and all four doors opened at nearly the same time.

“This is great!” squealed a dark-haired girl climbing out of the left backseat. Across from her, a freckle faced blonde girl clasped her hands under chin with excitement.

“Well, it’s a long walk up to my cousin’s cabin, Dina,” remarked the driver. He shook the keys from the ignition of the Jeep and unfolded his long legs from underneath the steering wheel of the four wheel drive. “The path is narrow and we can’t drive any farther.”

“A little walking never hurt anyone!” Dina decided. She stretched her arms high over head until her back cracked. “It’ll feel good most likely.”

“YOU feel good to me!” said a gruff voice and Dina was promptly encircled by dark skinned arms and lifted off her feet. She looked down at her boyfriend and giggled, rubbing his buzzed head with both of her hands.

“Oh, Curt, let me down!” she exclaimed in a very unconvincing tone. Curtis twirled her around so that her long, tan legs flew out at almost a ninety degree angle to his own.

“C’mon man!” the boy who had been driving said. He looked rather embarrassed and rolled his eyes at the girl next to him who tittered nervously. “We need to get a move on if we want to make it to the cabin before dark. Here, Lindsey, can you carry this?” he asked, heaving a duffle bag into her arms. The girl Lindsey just nodded and tried to lift the bag up on her shoulder. Upon succeeding, she took a few steps forward and nearly fell to the ground from the weight.

“I got it, doll.” Curtis grabbed the blue duffle bag and Lindsey went back to the Jeep to help Dina with the other provisions after giving him a grateful smile.

“Mark, do we really need all this food? We’re only going to be here for four days!” Dina looked at the grocery bags piled in the trunk. “I’m sure we could manage on HALF of this.”

“Well, that bag is for you and Lindsey and the rest of the six bags are for me and Curt!” Mark explained, grinning broadly. He picked up three of them at a time and slung the handles around the crook of his elbow to reach for more.

“That’s my man!” Curtis yelled over his shoulder. Dina shook her head and hoisted a backpack on over her arms.

“What can I carry, Dina?” Lindsey asked. Her frame was small and Dina sized her up before handing her a lighter backpack and two grocery bags.

“That’ll do.” The dark haired girl snatched the last bag for herself along with a stereo and blankets and began to follow Lindsey and Curtis up the path. Mark tucked a bunch of pillows under his free arm, slammed the trunk and trotted after his friends. He glanced up at the sky as he ducked underneath some branches of low hanging trees and grimaced. The sun was already out of sight and he just hoped they wouldn’t get lost out here when night fell.







Part One



His palace looked out over the sea and Jeremiah loved nothing more than to spend his evenings on the south balcony, gazing at the water and breathing in the salty air. He had just finished dining with his advisors and now he patted his satisfied belly. Five small lights flickered about his head and around his shoulders. Jeremiah smiled warmly as one of the lights landed on his finger that he held a few inches from his face.

“Ah, Twilight, “ Jeremiah spoke. He tilted his head, still smiling. “You are looking radiant as ever! And how active you all are tonight!” he chuckled as Twilight the fairy jumped off his finger and twirled around with her brothers and sister. Jeremiah craned his neck to watch them as the fairies flew out over the water and not for the first time he felt jealousy towards them at their freedom to up and take flight whenever they felt like doing so.

“But they are such delicate creatures,” he reminded himself silently. “Tiny and fragile and practically weightless. I might envy their wings but I do not envy their size. Their lives will be much shorter than mine, though I will protect them as much as is within my power.” Jeremiah spread out his arms, inviting the frolicking lights to return to him. “Which is,” he added to his previous thought, “quite a lot of power being a high ruler as I am.” Many beings would cringe at the responsibilities that a king has over his land, but Jeremiah embraced them with all he had. He took his duties very seriously and despite some recent squabbles, the kingdom had been very peaceful under his rule.

“Dim! Twilight! Perry, Prancer, and Firefly!” Jeremiah called, for his beloved fairies were not responding to his outstretched arms like they normally did. Not seeming to hear him, the fairy lights still continued to dance out over the waters though the king noticed their movements had become more stationary. Perhaps his shouts had been overpowered by the noise of the waves crashing into the basement wall of the palace. Jeremiah cupped his hands over his mouth and called again. “Dim! Twilight! Perry, Prancer! Firefly! Come back to me!”

The fairies did not respond right away and an exasperated Jeremiah was just about to yell again more loudly when the lights suddenly took off toward him, zipping through the air so fast, that Perry, who was the first to reach Jeremiah, collided right into the man’s nose as he couldn’t slow down soon enough.

“Well, my goodness!” exclaimed Jeremiah as he caught the little fairy in his hands before Perry fell to the ground. The king blinked twice then peered down at his little friend. Obviously, the collision had done much more damage to the glowing creature than it had done him. “Are you okay? What was all that about?” But Perry was sitting up and seemed to be unhurt, though a little dazed. Jeremiah raised his head to the others.

“What has you all riled up?” he wondered. For Prancer was flying madly in circles, her light just a blur in front of Jeremiah’s eyes and Dim and Twilight were moving up and down holding hands in what looked like a frantic tango. Firefly, meanwhile, was gesturing crazily around the corner of the wall toward the front of the palace. Jeremiah slowly stepped over to the side of the railing, careful not to jostle Perry around in his hands too much.

“What is it?” he mused. It was at times like these he dearly wished his fairy friends could speak his language. “Has there been a commotion in front of the palace?” But he could see nothing out of the ordinary going on, though his view of the courtyard was only half as a result that he was on the south side of the building while his palace faced west. Well, the fairies must have seen something because they never acted quite like this. Suddenly, Jeremiah’s heart constricted a bit and he whirled around, ready to run back into the palace when the double doors leading out onto the balcony burst open.

“S-Sire!” gasped a voice, out of breath. It was Rex, one of Jeremiah’s most loyal advisors and also a close friend.

“What has happened?” Jeremiah questioned immediately. He moved toward the large bird and stared into his huge eyes, waiting. His chest was feeling even tighter and he knew something awful must have just taken place.

The ostrich gulped down a breath of fresh air, his long neck bobbing as he did so. The other fairies besides Perry hovered around his head worriedly. Rex finally was able to speak. “Pardon the interruption Your Majesty, but Gatsby the goat is in a panic. He claims his brother was just murdered!”

“Murdered?!” Jeremiah cried. He looked about wildly. “By whom?”

“He doesn’t know Sire, but he would like to speak to you as soon as possible.”

“Yes, yes of course! Let me put Perry in his bed and I’ll be right down. Give Gatsby my condolences, will you?”

“I will, Sire.” Bowing quickly, Rex took off, his long legs taking him through the palace and down the steps faster than most creatures would have been able to make it. Jeremiah shuddered at the thought that such a thing could have happened in his kingdom as he made his way to his grand bedroom where the fairies had beds and chairs that hung from the ceiling in the corner. Laying Perry gently down in his bed, Jeremiah sped down the stairs with three of the fairies trailing behind him, Prancer remaining with her brother to make sure he would be alright.

“Your Majesty, thank goodness!” A graceful horse with a long, glittering, blonde mane and tail greeted Jeremiah at the bottom of the steps. She looked afraid and upset and the king knew she had every reason to be if what Rex had said was true.

“I’m here now, Rapunzel, not to worry,” he consoled his advisor. He patted her nose gently and looked about him. “I have heard that something terrible has befallen our friends the goats. Where is Gatsby?”

“This way, Sire,” Rapunzel nodded her head in the direction of the Great Room. “We thought he might be most comfortable in there.”

“Ah, yes, good thinking,” Jeremiah muttered, his mind not on where the goat would be most comfortable. He hurried into the Great Room, however and found that Gatsby had been made as comfortable as possible. The goat was leaning on some cushions on the floor while Rex and the other ostrich, Bernard, bent over him with fans.

Upon seeing Jeremiah, Gatsby leapt to his feet; Rex and Bernard jerked out of the way of his long horns.

“Hello, dear Gatsby!” Jeremiah boomed in his best kingly voice. “I have heard a very brief version of your troubles. Please tell me further of the event that has brought you here.”

“Your Majesty!” Gatsby cried, his voice husky and cracking as he spoke. “A horrible injustice has occurred for my beloved brother, Zeke, has been murdered!” The goat’s front legs began to hop off the floor in what Jeremiah was sure was impending hysteria. He nodded thankfully as Rex and Bernard moved in to fan Gatsby once again but the goat didn’t seem to calm down at all.

“Zeke was murdered!” he screeched in a voice that sounded very unlike his usual voice. “My poor brother, he was murdered.” His frenzied hopping stopped at once and he hung his head so low that his horns scraped the floor. Jeremiah felt a wave of pity come over him.

“I’m very sorry,” Jeremiah said softly. He crouched down to look into Gatsby’s face, the latter of who didn’t open his eyes. “If that is so, we will find the criminal and justice will be served to him. That I can promise you, friend.”

“It IS so,” Gatsby insisted. His whole body was trembling now and Jeremiah was sure he had heard a sniffle. Being the tough nosed animal he was though, the king knew that Gatsby would prevent himself from crying in front of anyone, despite the cruelty that had been displayed on him. “I came down the mountain like I do every morning and there was Zeke, laying on the grass,” he told Jeremiah and his advisors. There was a long pause after this and the only noise was the soft twinkling of the three fairies around Jeremiah’s head.

“I can only imagine how difficult this is for you, but please try your best to go on. We must get to the bottom of this as soon as we can!” Jeremiah laid a heavy hand on the goat’s back and Gatsby raised his head. His eyes were dry just as Jeremiah knew they would be.

“He was laying there and when I called his name I thought I saw his horns twitch, but that was all. I ran over to Zeke and he was bleeding all over, Sire. All over and he had bruises on his back and legs.” Gatsby’s face suddenly became shadowed over. “Bruises shaped like hooves!” he said fiercely. “Hooves bigger than mine! Horse’s hooves!” And he glared accusingly at Rapunzel who gasped in horror.

“Horse’s hooves you say?” Jeremiah prodded, ignoring his advisor. He swallowed a lump that seemed to have formed in his throat. “You’re saying you think a horse killed your brother?”

“Oh yes, that’s what I’m saying! They stomped him to death! Those mad gallopers never ceased to bring trouble down upon us, but this time they’ve gone too far! And I don’t think it was just one, Sire,” he added. “I think there was a whole lot of the brutes by the way the marks looked.”

“Where is your brother’s body?” Jeremiah asked gently. He refused to be drawn into Gatsby’s accusations before he had been able to check for himself.

Gatsby quieted down once more and lowered his eyes. The anger that was in them was replaced by sadness. “At our house. I mean, my house.” Tears once again threatened to surface but Gatsby swallowed them back. “I dragged him in there, but I didn’t clean him up or anything because I knew you’d want evidence.”

“That was smart of you,” Rex mumbled through the fan in his beak. Jeremiah nodded in agreement and turned around. Rapunzel was sobbing in the corner, Twilight the fairy blinking next to her.

“Rapunzel, hush yourself. Where is Copper, I need you to go get him for me.” The horse bowed her head and rushed off to find the king’s riding horse.

“I can have Bernard prepare you a room in no time if you want to—“

”No, no, Your Majesty. With all due respect, I would like to come with you.” Gatsby pulled himself together and stood straight.

“I thought as much.” Jeremiah now turned to the two ostriches. Rex, I need you to go get Coleman and Dickens. Bernard, put all the soldiers on duty and send Max to accompany us. Also, make sure Rapunzel will be okay.”

“Yes, Sire,” said Bernard hurrying off after a rapid bow. Rex lingered.

“Sire, don’t you think we should send more protection with you? I mean to say that the hor—the killers might still be on the mountain somewhere.”

“Max Midnight is the best soldier we have!” Jeremiah argued over his shoulder as he bustled Gatsby out of the Great Room. “And Coleman will be there as well. We need protection at the castle too, don’t forget. We’ll be fine.”

“If you say so, Your Majesty,” Rex bowed, still unconvinced. He was very worried about his king for nothing this awful had ever occurred in all the years Lord Jeremiah had ruled over Lesuorac.