Sons of Falling Stars

Rise of the Prince

The ridge opened over the Toledo lower lands where the meadows bask in the shimmering sunshine. The sugar factory replaced its trees with cane and drank the waters of its river. Alex snapped more photos as the bus moved slowly down the slope. Here a turtle dove, or a dashing reindeer, four-leaf clovers, and red cotton trees.

Aunt Dorris had told them tales of the magic woods surrounding the Faith Canyon. They told of talking animals, walking trees, and even flying horses. Sometimes, she said, the birds would lure innocent boys to the edge of the Forbidden River where they would enter, never to be seen again.

He never believed her, trusting more in the words of the church elder. The vibrant preacher shared another tale. Long before the sugar factory invaded the meadows, a green lush forest thrived with local farmers and wildlife.

War broke out between the factions when the cane crawled over the plains and filled the towns with anger, remorse, and hatred. Evil rose from the ground and sought to settle the balance. Man hunted and slew their own; the savage beasts fled their habitat and started feeding on each other.

The bus snaked steadily into the canyon amid the cries of unseen creatures that desired them gone. A red bird with a blue beak flew by the windows pausing a moment before making a U-turn and disappearing into the woods.

Alex got it this time. This would be the crown of his tour. What kind of bird was it? He quickly loaded it onto social media and the chatter ignited immediately. They seemed to admire the creature and soon declared it a new species, never spotted before.

The bus slowed and the tour guide, Felicia, introduced them to Faith Canyon. The bus would go for ten kilometers, and then they would travel on foot. Every member was reminded to stay within the established trio for safety reasons.

‘’ At no point should anyone separate and lag behind your trio. If one member is tired or wounded, everyone must rest or attend to the member. Use the GPS to follow the main group.’’

She handed each traveler a small map showing the canyon's main path. There were several rest points and even one general waterfall where they would all meet to have lunch. There were also warning signs marked with an ‘X’ that identified tracks that were considered dangerous.

The Pastor sat up front with his wife and son. This was the lad’s first year in the woods as the law only allowed young people over fifteen years.

As the bus entered the canyon road, the driver moved along at a reduced and measured pace. After a few minutes, he brought the bus to a halt. The Pastor and Felicia quickly investigated. And so did everyone else.

Alex peered out his window but only saw the large willow patch that extended on both sides of the unpaved road. The driver and other passengers lowered from the vehicle. Felicia and the Pastor followed, with the latter beckoning Alex.

She was lying in the middle of the road with her right leg still trapped in the saddle of the roan. Somehow she must have fallen and hit her head, making her unconscious. The horse stood its ground, only lifting its head once the tourists came closer.

Alex walked over and moved her black hair from over her eyes which were still closed. There were no swellings or signs of a head injury. He checked her pulse and noted that she was respiring normally.

‘’Pastor, she seems ok, maybe just a hard fall that knocked the wind out of her. We need to get her feet down so I can examine it.’’

A young member moved stealthily towards the horse who raised its head. As he placed his left hand on the white mane, his right hand slowly released the girl's foot from the saddle. He kept at it for a while until the leg was completely free and resting on the ground.

Suddenly, two men appeared from the shadows bearing shotguns and rope. The rider of the gray stallion was a tall, slender man in his late forties. He wore a mustache and carried a lassoing rope across his shoulders. The second rider was almost as tall but slightly thicker and wore full black pants, a shirt, and shoes. They both wore green hats with pointed tops.

‘’Move away from our prisoner. That young woman is extremely dangerous. We do not seek any trouble with you and only wish to retrieve the prisoner. We will leave in peace and you can continue your tour of the Forbidden Canyon.’’

‘’We are not seeking any rift with you, but can you tell us who you are and what institution you represent?’’ Felicia asked the two men.

‘’This is a private matter, and we prefer not to involve strangers. So, please, give us the girl and we can all get on with our chores.’’

‘’She is actually unconscious and is unable to ride. We will keep her here for a while under observation. We have an adequate medical team…’’

The older man raised his rifle pointing it at Felicia. ‘’I won’t think twice about squeezing this trigger. So, one last try, give us the girl and we will let you go.’’

‘’So, now we are your prisoners too? You do not scare me one bit. We will hand over the girl when she awakes and give us her side of the story.’’

As he spoke, Alex stood up and placed himself between the men and Felicia. The older man got off his stallion and headed towards him. Suddenly, and without a sound, a lion leaped from the underbrush and tackled the man to the ground. It pounced upon him and rammed its fangs into his arm. The man screamed in pain and let go of the gun. The beast pinned him to the ground and clawed away at his face and chest.

The second man tried to get a clean shot but was unable to from the now frightened horse who became uncontrollable. Two lions rushed from the underbrush and attacked the other man. He fled leaving his companion screaming out in pain. The three animals now circled Alex and the lion came forward and rubbed its head on his feet. The two lionesses sat down on the other side of the road.

Alex reached down and stroked its mane and tried talking to it. “ I am going to take this lady onto the bus so we can attend to her. Once she wakes up, we will let her go.’’

The lion seemed to understand and went up the stairs of the bus, climbed into one of the seats, and lay down. Alex and another member of the church carried the young girl onboard and placed her in one of the seats near the lion.

After receiving some medication and water, the young lady opened her eyes. Alex reached out and took her hand to help her to sit upright. As their hands met, a bright light emitted from their hands. He withdrew his hand in surprise, but a strange rainbow-like light remained on his hands for a brief moment.

‘’You…it is you, at last’’ she drifted off again to sleep.

Alex was perplexed by both the light and the small jolt of electricity that had shot up his arm when he took her hand. The light remained on his hands not on hers, why? And what did she mean by ‘’you at last’’? She may just have been dizzy.

But the light? What did all this mean and why today?

Then there were the two men who identified her as a prisoner and a very dangerous girl. And then the lions. Did they defend her and him? Or, were they trained animals who hated those two men?

The Pastor and the crew buried the other man and placed a title over his grave. Who were they? Why did they want the girl?

The Pastor moved to the far corner of the bus while everyone was inside trying to revive the girl. He placed an urgent call and whispered as he spoke.

‘’Elder Angela, how are you today?’

‘’Hello Pastor, weren’t you supposed to be picnicking today’?’’

‘’Yes, but there is very urgent news. I believe we have found the prince and he is right here in our church.’’

‘’Good job, Pastor. Whatever happens, do not let him kiss that Ally girl. You must keep him away until Samantha gets here.’’

‘’I will make sure he is kept far from her. What does she look like?

‘’Have Felicia share some club photos with you. That way there will be no mistakes. This is of the utmost importance, our kingdom depends on it.’’

‘’I will get working. Felicia is here with me.