TIDBITS

CHAPTER ONE – HOME

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      He was the last of his kind. Tall and majestic, he spread his massive wings and soared into the sky, a glistening white ball of energy dancing on the air.  Long ago, many of these winged horses lived on Voltare 5. Revered as gods by my people, they had been worshiped and looked after for centuries. Every Voltarian child grew up hearing stories of the fabled white winged steeds who bravely looked after us. 

However, once discovered by poachers from other worlds, they were hunted down and captured, their snowy white skin and delicately feathered wings harvested to be used as adornments on the garments of the rich. Somehow, he had escaped that fate and I marveled at his magnificence as I watched him streak across the horizon from my position on the mountaintop.

 

     My dwelling was ancient, built eons ago by my ancestors. My father had been a respected leader of my people as was his father before him. We were a peaceful planet. War and crime had been abolished centuries before. We were known throughout the Cancri System as the peacemakers of the galaxy. But our planet was dying. Already, the sun had permanently darkened to twilight and the air had become chilled. Soon, our life-giving orb would triple its size, then die, leaving our world frozen, desolate and devoid of living beings. We Voltarians began evacuating our planet, scattering our inhabitants into the far reaches of the galaxy. Not having a definite destination, we became nomads - explorers seeking new worlds on which we might settle and mingle with the natives. Already, most had left and only a handful remained. My own time would soon arrive, but I felt reluctant to leave the beautiful world that I had always called home.

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     On this particular day, I watched the white winged horse land in the meadow below.  Gazing down from a hillside, I observed silently as he grazed upon the tall green grass. Suddenly, a rope shot out from behind a tree and encircled his neck. Then another flew over his head, trapping him from the opposite side. The creature reared up onto his hind legs and spread his wings but could not leave the ground.  He snorted and whinnied as the poachers held tight to the ropes that bound him. A tear rolled down my cheek. Finally, the last winged horse had been captured.

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     I could not let this happen. I would not let this happen. Grabbing a rope that hung from a nearby fence. I secured it to a large boulder, then tossed it over the side of the cliff. Shimmying down as fast as I could, I reached a precipice where the terrain beneath provided an easy descent. 

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     The winged horse bucked and snorted as two poachers from the planet Terora struggled to maintain control of his bonds. A third emerged from the nearby thicket carrying a long bow. He aimed and pulled back the shaft of a poison arrow. Reaching to my side, I removed my laser chakram from its tether and threw it with all my strength. The deadly beams ignited in a glow of hot blue-white light as it streaked through the air and cut through the arrow, rendering it harmless before it reached its intended target. The hunter turned in my direction and began to charge just as the lasers of my chakram disengaged upon returning to my gloved hand. Once more, I sent it through the air. Once more, searing blue-white beams engaged as it flew toward the ropes holding the winged horse and severed them. The terrified creature, now free, rose up into the air and fled into the forest.

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     I, on the other hand, remained to face the wrath of the Terorans who had been denied their precious prize by my hand. Again, my weapon returned and I holstered it at my side. Shouting an unmistakable battle cry, I rushed toward all three of the Teroran poachers. As I reached the huntsman with the bow and arrow, I flipped backwards, sending my boot on a collision course with his weapon, knocking it out of his hand. Momentarily surprised by my attack, the Teroran quickly recovered, thrusting his closed fist at my face. I ducked and his knuckles collided with his fellow poacher, who had intended to attack me from behind. The second poacher fell to the ground, unconscious as I rolled to safety. 

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     Known throughout the galaxy for their hunting prowess, the Terorans were weak in hand to hand combat and relied more upon their weapons than their fighting skills when confronted, so it was not unusual that this single blow would inflict so much damage. Lucky for me.

Now, there were only two left to contend with. Both ran toward me shouting in their native tongue. Their language was foreign to my ears but I understood their intentions perfectly. Grabbing the branch of a nearby tree I pulled myself up and kicked at their faces as they approached. Another fell to the ground, unconscious. Now, only one remained. 

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     Dropping down onto his back, I clung to his waist with my legs and pounded his head using the closed knuckles of both of my fists. With a mighty roar, he shook me off and I fell to the ground, landing hard on my side. Burning pain shot through my ribs as I struggled to catch my breath, wounded and at his mercy. With a sneer, he withdrew another arrow from a quiver on his back and aimed the poisoned point toward my neck. Holding the bow steady, he whispered something in Teroran. I did not understand his words, but I supposed that he proclaimed that my death was eminent.

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     Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a streak of white behind him. Two powerful hooves kicked the Teroran's head. He stumbled. Seizing the opportunity to escape, I put two fingers between my pursed lips and whistled in hopes that my savior would come to my side. He did. I swung up onto the back of the winged horse and he flew me up to my mountain. When we arrived at my dwelling, he landed and I dismounted. I reached up and stroked the side of his face. He turned his head and looked me in the eye. I smiled. I had saved him and he had saved me. No debt remained between us. I stepped back and once again he flew up into the sky, then disappeared into the clouds.

 

***

 

     Five sunsets passed. I was the last of my clan left on my planet and it was time for me to depart. My sun had expanded and faded to a deep shade of red. Time had expired. I could not risk staying any longer. 

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     I gazed up into the sky in hopes of one last glimpse of the winged horse before I left but I did not see him. Gathering my few belongings, I entered my spaceship and prepared to leave. A soft thud near the still open access ramp startled me. I left the control panel to investigate. I looked down from the top of the ramp. My lips formed a big grin. For there, standing tall in the blood red rays of the dying sun, stood the majestic white winged horse, his eyes fixed upon my own as if he wanted to tell me something. For a moment, we merely stared at each other. Then, on a whim, I whistled. He snorted, then nodded his massive head and trotted up the ramp. 

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     “I need to do one more thing before we leave, my friend.” Bounding down the ramp, I walked over to my mother’s grave several yards away and said my good-bye. After returning, I closed the door and launched my ship.

 

     As we entered the blackness of space, I could see the sun of Voltare 5 change color and glow with a blinding light that illuminated my view screen. My ship launched into hyperdrive just as the sun exploded. As we headed out into the blackness of space, my rear view screen showed that my sun no longer existed. Only a few rays of shimmering white gas snaking outward like sparkling tentacles remained. I exhaled a sigh of relief. We had made it off of the planet just in time.

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     I turned to my new companion. If we were to be together, I thought that he needed a name, one with meaning, one that would reflect his magnificence and power. The name would also have to be one that spoke of a new beginning. This proud and noble steed may have been the last of his kind on Voltare 5, but he would also be the first on a new world. We flew past a dwarf star and I knew. I stroked his silky muzzle. “You, my winged friend, represent a new beginning like a newly born star. I shall call you, Nova.”