The Prophesy Rhymes of Tal Kator

The Prophesy Rhymes Of Tal Kator

Darren Shell

SMASHWORDS.COM EBOOK EDITION

published by Fideli Publishing, Inc.

Copyright 2009, Darren Shell

All Rights Reserved.

SMASHWORDS.COM EBOOK EDITION

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Any and all characters are a product of the author's imagination, and any correlation between these characters and those of real people are strictly coincidental.

From the Book of Lore, the Dark Ages

Through forest and field,

Fen and glade,

A harsh and terrible

Sound is made.

Never a likely

Tale's been told,

In Leafling lore

From tales of old.

There came a cry

From distant north,

And Devil Troll

Came raging forth.

He cast his spell

With poison rain,

And Tal Kator

Cried tears of pain.

And Quoth, said Troll,

"Nevermore!

Will Leafling toil

In Tal Kator!"

… and the Prophesy begins.

~1~

In the far reaches of the Deep Forest, lived a very large colony of Leaflings. It wasn't the very farthest depths of the woods, but it was far enough that most of the King's men and the wandering wizards never bothered to travel there. It was a fantastic glen, or valley, with the most placid small lake in the center. This body of water was fantastically beautiful, and for the peaceful village of Tal Kator, it was perfect. The Leaflings of Tal Kator lived all around the confines of this sparkling lake that they named Mirare, meaning mirror. There was a great waterfall that flowed into it that added vibrant sounds, and the beautiful swirling currents engulfed the Leaflings in very nutrient-rich and oxygen-filled water. It was a place of great beauty, with the woodland animals bouncing to and fro in their perfect little woodland setting. Its waters soothed body and soul for the Leaflings, and they all considered it the absolute Utopia of the world. And although many a wolf had trodden his way through this seemingly desolate section of forest, the existence of these special creatures has somehow remained a mystery for centuries beyond account.

It is no small wonder that the keen nose of a savvy wolf would not have discovered these vibrant little beings of the woods. But, the fact that they are not actually mammals could attest for that. That's the trouble with these spiritual little creatures. They are not really animals, they are not really plants. They are somewhat of a combination. It seems impossible that such vibrant and strange life could exist in the Deep Forest, and yet, it happened. In the very early tongues of man, they were called Myrtos, a Greek term meaning small green plant. Some of the descendents of these creatures actually became Myrtle, which is a long-known and loved ground cover that grows in many varieties in many places in the world. Most Myrtle varieties of the world are very low-slung and vine-like. Their beautiful violet blooms enhance the stark winter floor of most woodland settings where other plants dare not delve. They have very ivy-like characteristics that make them quite well suited for their protective nature of hugging the forest floor, with their network of net-like coverings. Myrtle's ancient ancestors, the Leaflings, were not much different in appearance.

The Leaflings so resembled their Myrtle cousins, that if they chose to simply stand still ...they would be completely camouflaged and totally unnoticed. Their skin, or bark, was very rough looking and dark in color. But, its texture was much softer to the touch than it appeared to the naked eye. Even though it looked very rough and crude, it smoothed out like hair when touched, and was actually quite pleasant to experience. Their limbs, or legs and arms, were exceptionally thin to view. They, too, looked vine-like and seemed as gangly as ivy. But despite their skinny appearance, these creatures were remarkably strong and durable. A full-grown man could step directly upon their eight-to-ten inch bodies, and they would simply bend to meet the weight.

The head of a Leafling is much the same as that of man. They have facial features that, at times, show quite vibrantly. And still other times, they could seem totally nonexistent. That's what makes them so hard to discern in the woods. You simply cannot see them if they choose to be unseen. All they really have to do is stand still and act, well, like a plant.

These wonderful creatures have numerous leafy coverings upon them, and some have much more than others. Some even go through a leafless state like that of trees, but it is rarely seen in the winter months. They seem to shed these leaf-like hairs in summer as a cooling mechanism. Even in their leafless state, the Leaflings are still impossible to see when they choose. They just look like little sticks.

Another very special characteristic of these creatures is located on their fingers and toes. Where modern man grows toenails and fingernails, the Leaflings grow long and slender root-like appendages. They are used in the gathering of food. You see, the Leaflings do not eat...at least not with their mouth. When they need nourishment, they simply pause and push their roots into any soft soil. Sometimes a wet pile of leaves serves as quite a meal. Now granted, this takes much longer than the time we humans take to eat, but for a long-lived and durable Leafling, the earthy nutrients are well worth the wait. And the fact that they don't eat, means one more trait of survival...they do not leave droppings. Where there's no poop, there must not be creatures, and that, alone, could attest for their long secrecy.

There have been times, over the years, that drought has become a troublesome battle for the Leaflings. They can tolerate a very long dry spell, and still live through it without much discomfort. The dryness does take its toll, though. For instance, they become much more brittle and much less tolerant of the footsteps of man. They tend to break, when dry. Also, their voices become almost nonexistent. Even when well lubricated, the voice of a Leafling is raspy and dry...like the rubbing of wood...the rustling of leaves. It is almost a loud whisper. Their speech can be heard by those trained in the listening, but if one was not prepared to hear such noises, they would seem quite normal and woods-like. But, to the listening of the trained ear, the Leaflings have developed a language much like that of the very early English. Some of their words are of Latin decent, and some of Greek. Some other influences have changed their speech over the years, much like that of all walks of life. Language changes with the life around it and the Leaflings have life all around them. Even the birds and animals played a part in their language.

Despite their developed language, the Leaflings live a fairly primitive sort of life. Their lifestyle resembles that of the Native American Indians. They can live from the land, and protect their own with the fierce anger of the toughest of warriors. They even carve their own tiny arrowheads and build their own arrows...which they shoot from their own limbs...like a sling. No bow and string...just their own limbs and the waxy vine-like twine of a root system at their fingertips. They can actually bend those roots and use their appendages as fingers, or stretch them out as tentacle-like whips with many uses. They can be ferocious little blokes when they want to be. They are like much-developed spiders, with limbs flailing and snapping back and forth with razor-like precision. Thankfully, they are quite calm and peace-loving creatures most of the time, which might be attributed to their lack of sexual differences. These Leafling creatures are both male...and female.

To reproduce, the Leafling parent simply leaves its root-like fingernails immersed in soil and wait. In a matter of a few days, tiny roots sprout from their fingers, and with a quick, intentional snap, they break off a piece of themselves...thus allowing a portion of themselves to root on its own and come to life. It is a very emotional time in the life of a Leafling. It is said to be quite painful, but very rewarding for a parent to fulfill its destiny...to bare the life of another. It is a choice made by the Leafling when the time is right, which is considerably different from the mammal world, where opportunity sometimes knocks at very inopportune and awkward times. It seems to bring both the feminine qualities to the creature, as well as masculine. It is said that this brings a greater and deeper understanding of living things