Fortress of the Golden Dragon

Book Excerpt: CHAPTER ONE

1

     Once in a land far away there was a small town called Kolallan. High mountains protected this peace-loving community from its unfriendly neighbors on the north side, whereas in the south, azure blue hills attracted travelers to linger. Hundreds of pomegranate trees adorned prairies surrounding the land. When ripe, their sumptuous fruit cracked, displaying ruby seeds which satisfied the most discriminating taste. At night delicious oranges lit orange groves like fiery globes illuminating the landscape. Tall palm trees decorated every house. Their branches stretched out together like umbrellas, protecting the households from summer?s blazing heat and fanning out the hot air. The dates produced were the finest in the world, but their juicy and delicate nature made exportation beyond the town impossible. Along the roads, lotus trees and myrtle gracefully provided shade to weary travelers. Deep wells were the source of clear cool drinking water for the town.
     In spite of all the natural resources, the people of Kolallan were poor. Their main source of income was from cotton fields. Strangely, the male population was only half as many as the female. The elders believed that a few decades ago a witch had put a curse upon the town because a group of maidens had refused to serve her food and drink.
     ?Without husbands you shall be spinning until your hair turns white like cotton,? the witch had declared.
     In fact, all the maidens of Kolallan occupied their time by gathering cotton buds, spinning, and weaving in order to save money for alluring dowries.
     The people of Kolallan were good-natured and fun loving. In spite of their meager income, a month never passed during which they did not celebrate and enjoy themselves. Doors were never locked and they made strangers feel welcome to share their simple meals. Domestic animals were used only for their milk and wool. The occasional source of meat was from hunting game, which was usually shared by many households. Every morning groups of cheerful maidens carried their spindles to the hills, shared each other?s lunch, and sang songs. This ancient hymn was always the first they chanted:

     O glorious queen of heavenly spring!
     All water from your motherly water flow.
     Part of water you make stand,
     Part of water you forward flow.
     A thousand lakes you possess,
     A thousand rivers you own.
     Your brightness carried by horses four,
     All white, of the same blood,
     The wind.
     The rain.
     The sleet.
     The cloud.
     And thus upon the earth rising,
     Snowing, sleeting, hailing,
     Crushing down hates of all hatred,
     Destroying the wicked.
     O glorious queen of heavenly spring!
     You are life increasing and heavenly!
     You are herd increasing and heavenly!
     Maidens of barren wombs will beg of thee:
     Grant them children of males pure in seed,
     With words kind and good in deed.
     O glorious queen of heavenly spring!

     In the evening they returned home to deliver their spindles to their parents.
Among the maidens, the fairest of all was Allusin. With beauty and grace, she was tall and slender, with long, soft, curly hair the color of fresh dates. Her teeth were cotton-white, her cheeks as rosy as pomegranate seed, and her eyes sparkled with joy, even in sad moments, like sweet oranges at night. Her voice was crystal clear, like the water of deep wells.
     Her constant companion was a white sheepdog given to her by a man traveling on foot who had stopped by their house years ago asking her for a cup of water. He had worn a long turquoise blue robe down to his ankles, and a wide leather belt with seven rows of stitches in seven colors around his waist. He carried a dragonhead staff.
     It was a Wednesday, the thirteenth day of the month, and Allusin was nine years old at the time. She gave him a cup of cold water and began to pet his dog affectionately.
     ?What a pretty collar!? she said, noticing his neck. It had two narrow braided cotton ropes in purple and red entwined, with nine tiny lapis lazuli stars hanging from it. ?What is his name?? she asked the stranger.
     ?His name is Saiparak,? said the man in a low voice as he looked at her with piercing eyes. His face and his hands were bleached white, as were his hair and beard. ?It is the name of a bright star in the sky,? he continued. ?A magic star! Each month, for ten days the star turns into a tall young man fifteen years of age. For ten days it becomes a bull with golden horns, and for ten days it appears as a white horse with ears and reins of gold. It is the staunchest foe of the black dragon with no wings and no tail. He seems to be taken with you. Perhaps you care to keep him??
     ?Oh yes!? she said with great excitement. ?May I??
     ?Of course,? he replied softly as he left.
     ?What is your name?? Allusin called after him.
     Without looking back he answered: ?Peerbabu.?

     There were myths and legends about Peerbabu in neighboring towns. Rumors were that he had lived more than a thousand years and had been in his mother?s womb for seventy-two years. He was born with the bleached-white skin, white hair, and very long fingernails. His father, a cobbler, believing his newborn son to be evil, left him on a high mountain to be ripped apart by vultures, but a gigantic bird with the combined faculties of bird, beast, and human found the baby, fed and raised him. Her nest was on an island in the middle of a vast ocean. It rested upon a tree, which bore the seeds of all trees. The legend was that whenever she flew away a thousand branches grew out of that tree, and when she sat a thousand branches broke and seeds of all kinds scattered into the ocean.
     Peerbabu lived on a hill in a three-story tower shaped like a cross. Each level had windows on all sides. A small garden surrounded the building, with a short waterfall on the west side. It flowed to the east through a small stream and down to a cliff. The tower was hidden by tall trees and was not visible from outside unless one could find his way up through a winding narrow passage, ending at a wide terrace upon which the tower was built. No one remembered ever having seen the interior of the tower.
     Peerbabu was known for his healing powers. People from faraway towns and villages brought their terminally ill and left them under an old oak tree at the foot of the hill by his house. If they were gone the next day it was a sign that the person had a chance to be healed; other?wise the patient died. After they were healed, patients returned home with no memory of their healing process.
     Peerbabu was frequently seen going to the mountains, where he stayed out of sight for days and perhaps months. Old villagers said that they had seen him riding on a white rhino with a horn as long as ten cubits. Some whispered that he could order the wind to carry him to the most remote parts of the world. People revered him, but feared him as well. Therefore, they kept their distance.

     Allusin took good care of Saiparak. When she ate bread, she gave him three mouthfuls, too. She never gave him hard bones or leftover food. Saiparak, with his short tail; long, narrow head; long, rough hair; and pointed nose was a sheepdog with the character of a shepherd. Watchful and a light sleeper, he was the first to leave the house in the morning, and he tailed Allusin when she came home in the evening.

     On the north side of the town of Kolallan were two castles, not far apart. One castle belonged to a young prince whose immediate family had been killed by nomadic tribesmen in an ambush when he was only an infant.
     In the other castle lived Prince Sarabaress, the young prince?s only uncle.
     Prince Sarabaress had deep-set, light brown, melancholic eyes; a high forehead; and was tall and slender. He had the attitude and the mentality more befitting a philosopher than a royal prince. He had no children of his own, as his beloved wife had died at childbirth. Devastated by the news of his twin brother?s death, instead of planning a vengeful attack, which was commonly expected of a prince, he had decided to go into seclusion and dedicate his life to writing. One week after the event though, when Peerbabu showed up at his castle, his plan took a new course. Peerbabu was carrying a baby who was wrapped in the royal white blanket bearing his family emblem, a rosette. Peerbabu handed the baby boy over to Prince Sarabaress.
     ?Here is the sun prince to shine in your life!? said Peerbabu.
     Shocked, Prince Sarabaress checked the prince?s birthmark. On the back of his left shoulder there was a red jagged circle with a black mole in the center.
     ?He is Prince??
     Prince Sarabaress was about to declare the name of the prince when Peerbabu interrupted him, ?His name should not be spoken until he has passed adolescence and has built enough inner strength to withstand dark forces. The name has special resonance that, if picked up by such force, may cost him his life now. The attack on his family?s camp was an attempt to destroy the little prince.?
     ?Will there be a sign as to when it can be revealed??
     ?You will know when the time comes.?
     ?Then I will declare that he will be called Prince Athar. My brother chose this name for him when the prince was born. But one week later, during the official ceremony to initiate the baby as his heir, my brother called him by the other name. I believe the name was suggested by the astronomers.?
     ?Astrologically it was the right name but after his family was murdered, the situation changed.?
     ?You must tell me how he has survived!?
     Peerbabu said that in his dream he had seen the tribesmen entering the camp and had rushed to the scene, but had only been able to rescue the infant prince. He waited one week for Prince Sarabaress to go through grieving and until he was certain that it was safe to make the infant?s survival public.
     ?Peerbabu, you never cease to amaze me!? said Prince Sarabaress, clasping the baby to his chest. ?I was heartbroken when my wife died and my infant son, who bore the same birthmark, did not survive. When the prince was born, I felt somehow that I was being compensated for the loss. Then, last week, with the death of my brother?s family, I lost faith in even the divinities. But look now! Here I am with the biggest gift of all. I should pray for enlightenment to receive divine guidance in educating this blessed      baby.?
     ?Our little prince needs the care of a woman now. Do you know of one who could feed the baby?? asked Peerbabu.
     ?I have a trusted friend whose wife gave birth to a baby boy named Barzin. He was born on the same day as the prince, only twelve hours later when the sun was setting. I am sure that she will be delighted to feed two,? said Prince Sarabaress.
     The expression on Peerbabu?s face changed. A sudden and unexpected wave of sadness that covered his face alarmed Prince Sarabaress.
     ?Oh, Heaven!? said Prince Sarabaress. ?Concealed in vast happiness is grieving, and from the depths of sadness sprouts joy.? His tone had lost its glee.
     ?Such is the world,? said Peerbabu as he was leaving.

     Therefore, as was the custom, the prince and Barzin lived with women until the age of seven. Then they were trained by the army officers to learn the arts of war and were tutored by teachers in the fields of philosophy, history, and religion until they reached adulthood. All their activities were under the constant and direct supervision of Prince Sarabaress.
     Unlike the prince, Barzin was not a healthy child and was often bedridden for weeks. The prince was very protective of his friend who was in poor health. To defeat Barzin in games and sports, boys had to pass the prince. Whenever Barzin was ill, the prince spent hours at his bedside telling him the events of the day and new weapon techniques that he had learned. He cheered him up by making fun of those who were not their favorites. The prince and Barzin grew up together as close brothers.

     One spring day the prince and Barzin were hunting far from the prince?s castle when they heard singing. Quietly they got off their horses, walked to the hilltop, and hid behind trees so they could listen to a group of young girls who were sitting in a circle in front of looms, weaving. Their faces were bright and cheerful and their braided hair dangling on each side of their breasts was the sign of maidenhood. The prince and Barzin waited until the maidens finished their song. Then slowly they walked toward the girls. Saiparak was already at the prince?s side wagging his tail.
     ?Good morning, ladies!? said the prince.
     Startled, the girls looked up and saw two young men approaching them. One had light brown hair and deep hazel eyes and was holding the reins of a black and white stallion. A royal emblem adorned the saddle. The other man, with dark brown eyes and dark brown curly hair, had a dapple-gray stallion. Shy and surprised, the maidens began to giggle.
     ?Very strange!? thought Allusin. ?Saiparak is greeting the young prince. How does he know him? I do not remember ever seeing him before, yet his face is familiar!?
?Whose dog is this?? asked the prince, as he petted the dog.
     ?He is mine,? said Allusin, as she stood up and walked toward Saiparak, who was joyfully jumping up and down around the prince. When she got close to the prince she knelt down.
     ?Calm down, Saiparak!? She held the dog in her arms and looked up into the prince?s eyes. She felt a warm breeze embracing her body. She blushed and her heart began fluttering. There was a feeling of joy she had never before experienced.
     The prince sank into her eyes. He felt drawn to the exquisite maiden who was looking at him with admiration. He had been used to receiving love and attention all his life, but he was not quite certain about his own affections for others. He often asked himself if his love for Barzin?s mother was the same as Barzin?s love for his own mother, or if the respect that Barzin had for his father was the same as he had for his uncle. But at that moment with Allusin, all doubts were erased from his heart, as if instantly his soul had acknowledged that what he felt was love. To him it felt like the moonlight entering his room and lighting up dark corners to assure him that no monster was hiding there.
     ?What did you call him?? asked the prince.
     ?His name is Saiparak,? said Allusin. ?He is very particular and sometimes is not friendly at all. If he did not like you, he would not have run to you.?
     ?I am honored!? said the prince, bowing in a courtly manner to the dog. His gesture made the maidens laugh. They gathered around the two young men, showering them with questions. Unlike Barzin and the others, who were engaged in conversation, the prince and Allusin became pensive and quiet. The prince gently held her hand and pulled her aside. Their pulses and the rhythm of their breathing became harmonious.
     ?It may sound strange,? said the prince, ?but in the flick of an eye my world has changed. It is as if the illusionary life I had before has disappeared in your eyes. And now, just by holding your hand, the real world has come into existence. I need to talk to you in private. May I accompany you home??
Allusin nodded and softly smiled.
     ?What time do you usually leave this place?? asked the prince.
     ?Before the sun goes down,? replied Allusin.
     ?Where should we meet? I do not want to lose you.?
     ?Down the hill somewhere,? said Allusin. ?Do not worry! Saiparak can always locate you. He is good at finding people for me, especially the ones he likes.?
     When the girls packed their spindles to go home, Allusin left her friends and said, ?Saiparak, go and find the prince! I will follow you.?
     The prince was waiting for her down the hill. As they strolled, they talked like old friends and told each other stories about their families and friends. When they reached an orchard, Allusin turned to the prince and said, ?I leave you here because I must go home now.?
     ?May I see you next week?? asked the prince.
     ?You may,? replied Allusin.
     ?Right here would be a good place to meet.?
     ?Then I shall be here in one week?s time. But still I do not know your name, my prince.?
     ?My name is Athar. But yesterday, in my father?s library, I came across a document in which I read that he had named me . . .? At this moment the prince paused as if something held him back from pronouncing it out loud. So he whispered it in Allusin?s ear. Allusin repeated it, exclaiming, ?What a beautiful name!?
     Both were astounded by the way the name echoed through the hills. It was the first time that the prince had heard his name being spoken. It had strange resonance in his ear and brought about a chill, which crawled under his skin and made him shiver. His immediate reaction to the unfamiliar feeling was to hold Allusin in his arms and kiss her on the lips. They embraced for a long time. Gradually the warmth of her body and the excitement of the moment made the chill disappear, so when they departed, he forgot about the incident.

continues...