Blaekerian: An Epic Fantasy Novel (In Progress)

A Beginning

Cheruffi had never been around kids much. Even among his own kind, he never found himself in close proximity with any. That duty mostly fell the nursery brood. The last time he remembered being around kids was when he had been one himself. And that made things difficult now.

"Why are your ears so pokey?"

"They aren't ears, they're horns."

"Then where are your ears?"

"We don't need them."

"Then how do you hear."

"Not everyone hears the same way."

"Then how do you hear?" Cheruffi stopped and looked down at the small girl. She stopped as well, her eyes lit up in curiosity. He pointed to little holes on the side of his head.

"Those are your ears?" She asked.

"Yes. Now can we keep moving?" She nodded after a moment of serious contemplation. They walked on up and down the dunes. The only sound was the crunching of sand underneath their feet and the warm wind to their backs. That didn't last long.

"Are your wings real?" Cheruffi sighed.

"Yes."

"Then why don't we fly wherever we're going?"

"Because they don't work like that."

"How do they work?"

"I can fly for short distances. Not long excursions."

"Exkuur-shuns?"

"Long distances."

"Oh."

They made it another minute with only the sound of sand blowing.

"Why are you so tall?"

"Cus I had a tall mama. Now will you please shut up?" He huffed. She quieted. They keep on in silence.

Finally, some peace, Cheruffi thought. The sun was beginning to come up directly in front of them. Reds, oranges and blues creating a beautiful effect over the desert sands. It was a mosaic and Cheruffi warmed at the sight. He loved the desert in the early morning hours before the animals had risen and now former members of the gang had awoken. There was a stillness to it that he longed to remain in the world for just a few minutes longer than the hour, if he was lucky, that it gave. The quiet was broken once again. The girl sniffled.

Cheruffi turned with frown, ready to give a rebuke. But upon doing so, his face immediately softened. The girl had tears streaming down her cheeks. She wasn't bothering to wipe them off and her rose ran. She sniffed again and turned to the lumbering ifrit.

"Do you think my mommy is okay?" Cheruffi remained silent, his stomach growing tight. He didn't know what to say.

"I know she's dead," she continued as if not expecting a response, "But do you think she went somewhere nice?" Cheruffi still didn't respond and looked at his feet. He then slowly slipped off their pack of supplies from off his back and sank to the ground. He patted the cool sand next to him and the girl obediently came and sat near. She finally used her arm and wiped a good deal of the tears and snot from her face and looked up at him with large attentive eyes.

"Where I come from, Ifrit believe that after we die we go to another realm where there's a brood mother dragon waiting. To keep us warm and protected and safe with our kin forever." He tried a reassuring smile, which he wasn't used to and then turned up to stare back at the rising sun. "What do your people believe?

"Umm... I don't know." She sniffed and shifted to look at the scene as well. The colors were really starting to come out now. Yellow light peered through the low hanging clouds and the first of the two spheres now halfway visible. Reds hung in the air where the blues had faded away. The sand reflected the bright colors back in a geographic mirror.

"Do you think my mommy could be there too?"

"I think the Ifrit could make an exception."

"Exsep-shun?"

"They'll let her in."

"Oh. Well that's good." They sat for a while longer until both suns were visible in the sky before continuing on.