Alexander Kazantsev - The Destruction of Faena

He took his prize home—it had been quietened down by the warmth of his body-fed it and began training it.

His mother was very much surprised at his behaviour. His younger brothers and sisters were in raptures.

The little animal used to play with them. It grew up quickly and became attached to Av. It was evidently in no way inferior to the domesticated lizards of Faena.

When the animal had grown up a little, Av decided to train it to go hunting with him. His father smiled condescendingly at the idea, but in no way interfered with his son’s experiments.

Av called his future helper Ding.

The disaster occurred after a domestic ceremony at which Av had been awarded his new name. Serpent, in honour of his victory over that creature.

Serpent insisted that his mother should let Avik go hunting with him. It was time he became an assistant provider.

His younger brother was beside himself with joy and ready to follow Av anywhere.

Ding, of course, had to go with them. Gifted with an amazing nose, he could scent game even before Serpent had noticed it.

…Serpent came back from the hunt alone.

His mother tore her hair and screamed frantically at him:

“You’ve killed him, you’ve killed my Avik!”

Serpent turned pale at these words. They were unfair. Serpent could not have been accused of such a crime, although he was partly to blame.

The brothers were walking through the forest. Ding was running ahead. Suddenly, he stopped and growled. His fur bristled.

Just at that moment, a huge shaggy body fell on him from above. Serpent had heard from his father about the Faetoids which had carried him off as a baby.

Now a beast like one of those described by his father had seized Ding, who yelped, went hoarse and then was silent.

The shaggy beast rushed off with its prey.

Without thinking of his brother (and this was where he was terribly at fault!), he ran after the Faetoid.

The beast was, however, more agile. But Serpent had a determined nature, however. He neither wanted to nor was he capable of backing out, any more than his mother, the young Mada Jupi.

With his keen hunter’s instinct, he noticed which way the beast had run. Although slower than the beast, he was unerringly following in its tracks.

Serpent found it under a wide-branching tree where it imagined itself to be safe and was devouring the luckless Ding.

Serpent went mad with rage. He did not even shoot an arrow. Blind with fury, incapable of containing himself, he hurled himself at the beast and caught it unawares.

The Faetoid proved smaller than Serpent had imagined at first. He was much stronger and, above all, much more experienced than his opponent. Moreover, he knew his father’s fighting tricks.

Serpent overthrew the creature; it lay helpless beside the mangled corpse of Ding which it had not yet finished eating. Serpent was just about to finish the creature off, when it said:

“Do r-rationals kill those who are lying down?”

Serpent jumped back and asked in horror:

“Who are you, a talking beast?”

“I am a r-rational amid Terrans.”

The creature was talking in Serpent’s native Faetian, but with an unfamiliar burr. Even so, it was talking. The flabbergasted Serpent let go of it. He wanted to ask where it came from and who had taught it Faetian.

But the beast, which called itself rational and was able to speak, was cunning into the bargain.

No sooner had Serpent relaxed his hold, prepared to carry on with the conversation, than his shaggy opponent sprang on to its hind-legs and jumped up onto the lowest branch of the tree. A moment later, it vanished into the foliage.

The dismayed Serpent rushed in pursuit of the Faetoid, but then stopped, deep in thought.

Only then did he fear for his brother Avik. What had happened to him? The little boy must have been left behind while he chased after the talking beast.

Stifling his alarm. Serpent ran back over the scarcely noticeable tracks that had brought him to the spot. Serpent could run for great distances without losing his breath. But this time he felt short of air, his lungs were ready to burst and his heart seemed about to jump out of his breast. Even so, he did not slow down until he reached the ill-fated spot where poor Ding had been carried off.

His experienced hunter’s eye immediately pictured the drama that had been enacted there.

Avik had proved himself to be a true Faetian, although still a small boy. Judging by the traces of the fight, he had put up a desperate resistance.

But there had been many attackers and they had overpowered the little lad. Serpent found the route by which they had carried him off. For a long time he pursued the kidnappers until he realised that he had lost too much time and it would be impossible to overtake them.

Dusk had fallen on the forest as, stumbling over the tree-roots, Serpent made his way back home in utter despair. His arms dangled helplessly down by his sides, his head was bowed on his breast.

Thus he returned home alone on that tragic day and told his mother everything.

…Mada went crazy with grief and screamed that he had killed Avik. She meant that he was responsible for his brother’s death, but the proud Serpent flared up. Perhaps it was his grandfather’s blood in him, not just his mother’s. He was stung by the accusation she hurled at him. If his mother was capable of such a reproach, then he would go away to the caves and would live there on his own.

Mada was too crushed by grief to recollect herself and restrain her son.

She lay on the threshold with her hair unloosed and, through a veil of tears and the evening mist that reminded her of the lost Faena, she saw her beloved firstborn disappear behind the trees.

But she was threatened by yet another loss.

The lissom form of Ma, her elder daughter, slipped past her. Without a second thought, the girl had gone to follow Serpent.

When he came back that night from the hunt, Ave was shaken by the despondency with which he was met at home.

On learning about the double disaster— the loss of Avik and the departure of the elder children—Ave’s face darkened and he thrust his hand into his thick, greying beard.

“Even if I’m in the wrong, and I am in the wrong, of course,” said Mada to her husband, “how will Serpent and Ma be able to live on their own? You must bring them back.”

“That’s got to be done!” replied Ave. “On their own, they won’t be able to beat off attacks by the Faetoids, who have resumed the war with us. Their first catch, our poor Avik, will only make them even more fierce and determined.”

“I refuse to believe it!” protested Mada. “If Gor Terr lived for so long with them and taught them a thing or two, they could have kidnapped our Avik so that he could teach them too. But you’ve got to bring Serpent and Ma back.”

“I’ll find them,” promised Ave, and he added thoughtfully, “It’ll be a good thing if you’re right about Avik.”

Like a truly courageous Faetian, he was trying not to let his wife see how shattered he was by it all.

“I’m worried about that talking beast.”

“All my hopes are on him!” intervened Mada. “According to what Serpent told me, he talks like our beloved friend, Gor Terr.”

“That’s just what’s bothering me.”

“But I’m delighted. Even Dzin had a feeling of gratitude. The talking beast, whoever he may be, could save Avik.”

“He must be a pupil of Gor Terr’s. You were saying yourself that when Gor Terr became a leader, he hoped to teach the beasts a great deal.”

“But why have they come back? Perhaps Gor Terr isn’t alive… Either he wouldn’t have let them come here, or he would have come to us.”