Fred Sparkrock - Burning Desires

Feeling quite free and easy, he moved through the thick growth of woods.

The forest, as all Keller had been, was a beautiful isle of serenity to him. He was all too used to the paved-in-asphalt cities of Earth and the screaming, teeming, scheming billions all out to stab a man in the back.

Perhaps if the phrase "stab in the back" could be taken only figuratively, he might have been able to live on mother Earth. However, crime was rampant in the streets, homes and office complexes. That stab in the back was real. Deadly real!

He had gone no more than a quarter of a mile, when he first sighted the source of the sound he was following. He immediately dropped behind the trunk of an old gnarled oak for protection. Elf had forgotten to mention an ottuff-jay was at least the size of an Earthly German Shepard, had a long hawk-like beak and walked on six clawed feet. She was right about the leather wings, and the white ruff of feather around the creature's neck. Ponkert was positive about that-two of the overgrown chickens stood not more than twenty feet from him.

However, he had little real worry about the gigantic birds turning on him. They had other matters occupying their minds, or bodies as the case was. Silently he watched with some amazement as he received a nature lesson in the mating habits of six-legged beasts. When the female finally strutted off, obviously satisfied by the awkward coupling, he simply pulled out his laser pistol and squeezed off a shot. The brawny featherless bird dropped to the ground before he realized what happened, caught while still dazed from his sexual repast.

Getting the monster back to the campsite posed a different problem. An ottuff-jay weighed at least ten times the amount it looked. Pulling his sword free, the Earthman used it as an over-sized butcher knife to hack away two of the six drumsticks. Hoping Elf preferred the taste of dark meat, he slung the bird legs over his shoulder and began to retrace his steps through the forest.

Whistling to himself, he let his eyes take in the bountiful beauty surrounding him. He tried to visualize the countryside after he had opened his matter transmitter vacation service to Keller. Immediately scraps of paper and disposable cans that were never disposed of were heaped around his feet. He shook the vision from his mind and the greenery was returned. The prospect of his business venture suddenly sat uneasy with him. Perhaps if he set up regulations…

His thoughts were abruptly ripped from his mind as he stepped into the clearing that had held their campsite an hour ago.

"Elf!" he called out, dropping the heavy bird legs to the ground. "Elf!"

There was no answer. Like a madman he rushed to the torn sleeping bag and camping equipment scattered in crazy disarray over the small clearing. The girl was gone! And so were the two mankils, Richard and Harl!

Suppressing his urge to panic, he forced logic into his brain when desperation fought for a seat. His mind seemed to take in and process the information his eyes transmitted to it double-time, trying to subdue the hollow sinking that filled the pit of his stomach.

He found the key to the whole riddle at the north edge of the clearing.

Mankil tracks. Enough for at least ten creatures and their riders.

The complete wrecking of the camp and the missing Elf fell into place.

Someone, for some unknown reason, had ridden in and abducted her. There had been a fight, that much he knew. Elf would never have gone submissively. But why? Why?

Suddenly, the thought of some northern Yngvi grabbed his mind like fingers of ice. Some unknown Yngvi and his Elf! His mind screamed and logic fell to blood-lust. Like a lunatic, he wrenched the long sword that hung from his side from its scabbard. The silvered blade flashed in the morning sun as he ran after those who had left an easy trail for his revenge-seeking eyes. He ran, intent on but one thing: to find and kill those that had taken the girl from him.

Ponkert's temper had cooled to cold determination during the two weeks it had taken to plod along on foot to arrive within the fortified walls of the city-state Lindakar. While the city rivalled Hort in size, its streets were littered with trash and the people didn't display the joviality of Hortians. However, they were friendly enough to explain to an ignorant stranger with certain pride that their ruler, Rololf, had managed to capture the daughter of their most feared enemy-Tomar.

That same enemy's wisdom in giving Ponkert a small pouch of silver, had allowed the Earthman to cross enough palms to find out the exact location of Elf within Rololf's palace. The remainder of his week's stay within Lindakar had been spent plotting his rescue of the red-headed Hortian princess.

It was a good plan. A damn good one. However, it had one major fault, he had to admit. It just didn't work. The four Lindakarian palace guards who surrounded him, their long curved scimitars drawn and held in quite menacing positions, was all the evidence he needed of that.

"I say we should just skewer him now," one of the burly black guards grunted.

"No! As delightful as his death agonies might be, we have orders that all would-be assassins are to be taken before the queen for sentencing in Rololf's absence," an even more burly and higher ranking guard answered.

Ponkert winced as a sharp point bit into his back, "Move!" a voice behind his ordered. He did just that, following two of the guards who positioned themselves before him.

As they marched through the echoing halls of the palace, the Earthman doubted his decision to leave his laser pistol behind at the inn. But then on the other hand, if one of these oafs had gotten their mitts on it, the results would have been disastrous.

He silently cursed himself for not taking more time to lay his plans, but it did no good. There was no way for him to know that as he strolled through the palace garden toward the high-rising tower where Elf was held that he would step smack-dab in the middle of the back of a palace guard taking a rest break with a scullery maid. To say the least, the man's startled cries brought the rest of the guards running.

"Wait here, pig!" one of his rather unfriendly companions ordered, halting the group outside two golden doors.

The guard entered and returned a few moments later ordering him inside.

The Earthman's darting eyes took only a few seconds to confirm the fact that he was being brought before the queen. And by the looks of the pastel draperies and somewhat suggestive marble statues that lined the walls of the expansive room, his audience was to be in her bed chambers-which is where any good queen should be in the middle of the night.

Somewhere before him, he heard a very feminine chuckle. He strained to see around the broad backs of his captors, but was unsuccessful. His ears strained to hear the whispering that followed the soft laughter and managed to pick up "Thank you… alright… my agent testing the defences of… yes… sure I'll be… "

He twisted from side to side in amazement as his surrounding guards suddenly turned and left him standing alone in the room. His unbelieving eyes strained over his shoulder as the armed men marched through the door and closed it behind them.

"Chadwick Ponkert the Third," the voice of the queen summoned his gaze back to front centre.

His eyes must have bulged an inch and his jaw dropped to the floor as he focussed on the woman in white robes before him. "J-Jan!"

In a very familiar bouncy little trot, the woman ran forward and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him with the tight squeezing embrace of old friends-very close old friends!

Chad, I thought I'd never see you again!" she cried, setting off warm tinglings within him. His own arms slipped around her waist.