Undesirable

KING

Below the cloud, there was the dwelling of Jasmin and King who had no rule over prosperity. But they had a task.

'I have a bit of burden on my back, King. But I am surely fine...'

Jasmin was living downstairs in the world. At there, the floor was mostly green and silver, and an endless grey roof was sheathing it as dawn thrived.

Nature was profoundly rich around her: she could perceive the sprouting leaves and flowers out of the green twigs; the by-passer birds and their mysterious tunes, and howling wind and drizzling sometimes by the dusk.

However, after every night, morning had brought her to her work by some strange chance. Though she was not alone, she got no help for the task. Because all she harnessed was a shapeshifter dog, King. Sometimes at wet nights, King became a wolf-man and ran into the woods, while under the full moon's watch, he turned into a man with red eyes to look after what he had left as Jasmin and to put his subtle thoughts onto the tree and stones. But the star's shine made him who he was. A golden Retriever.

Anyway, King and Jasmin's task was to deliver the packed but uncooked and unprepared food to the nearest station that would take it upstairs; for the in-clover people.

Her road started from the millpond side called Aruna in her tongue, but the upper folks pronounced it Auna, the hell's heaven. There was a stream hidden for every eye residing away from it.

The reason why nobody could see the stream was because of its top which was veiled by the enormous trees. The big old trees. And they were named the Baghold Green-Maples.

There might be some mystery about their inauguration. But for the history, it was told that they were grown by Lorgnun family a decade ago, and their kins, Hashin, had served them to become tall and in a concave shape for the hill.

There were a lot of houses in the wood back then. Of Lorgnun, of Hashin, and of Rundharaa. Almost the whole hill and twenty-five kilometers around it were under their watch. But ever since the world became silent, divided into multiple spheres, there was only one hut, more like a shrine, of a strong lady, Jasmin.

She was wearing a grey cloak and a shiny fabric as a veil on her head. There was a staff made of Deodar that she was clasping, and her third finger had a plain silver ring as a circlet on her head and a waist chain on the clothing.

The road was smoother for her halting, so she did not halt. But too, there was a hefty box on her back. She lifted it high, looking at King's yellow eyes.

'I know you want to lift it even though you cannot.'

'But it is alright. I have a strong belly...'

She smiled and kept her weight on till she bent and reached the flat ground that was also green with bushes and grass.

However, just before she stood for a long breath, Aruna took a turn to her left, as if it was not meant for others.

'Do not ye think if it is magic of our ancestor to keep water in?' She asked, looking far ahead where in the fog, a few more Baghold maples were evinced.

'Well, I am not so wise about history. Cannot even find the old people for talk.' and she lifted her burden and moved further to a mountain whose top was hidden in the cloud.

Like a lady of the great hall, she looked majestic. But like a labourer, she had to work till dusk. Because that was when her next halt was perceived under the last shadow of the Mountain.

'Finally, we arrived at Uttain, King,' said Jasmin. 'Now, I can move back.'

With a relieved sigh, she put the weight down, looking at the moon.

'I will be waiting for you on the hill...' She glimpsed that the yellow eyes were turning into silver, and she smiled again, watching his ears getting smaller.

'Anyway, I must be off now for the rest...'

Before King would stand on two legs, she was gone out of his sight. But she might know that it was him when he howled, looking at the crescent moon.

The crows fled away by his voice and too did the bats. But owls stayed on the twigs. Their eyes were sparkling ivory, and that became his light on the path in the woods. He lifted the box by his teeth and ran upstairs with the help of his dark claws. Wildness hunted him, and he clashed his paws on the trees. He doomed a lot of woods to ascend the mountain.

However, everything around him was hushed, except his manoeuvring was making a ruckus for a man in the dark hood who was following him since he left the dilapidated threshold of Uttain.

'You are making a lot of mess, King!' he screamed. 'You are indeed an Undesirable here!'

The man moved like he was disappearing and manifesting beside the running King.

''Now, if you do not stop and drop the weight, I will not let you turn into the man for a month!'

King's silver eyes sparkled in the dark as he shifted his eyeballs to his left, and then ahead he peeked and hurried.

'So, that is what you chose for sake of the Gyrate!'

The man did not move magically thereinafter. And the fallen trees were then re-attached to their roots.

'I do not care about the grumbling,' said the man, raising his right hand. 'But he is not happy about it. He does not want anyone to fill his space and disturb the flow of time. He does not like you...' and he laughed. '...and of course, me. That is what makes me happy. I am indeed joyous to see you again after a month...'

He, one last time, used his magical manoeuvring to reach at the neck of King and hovered over it.

'But I made a mistake this week.' There was sorrow in his voice. But his action spoke something else because he smacked on the neck of the wolf-man who fell down on the rocks, spilling his blood. And the man added, 'I am his pawn. I cannot go against him for sake of the lady you are taking care of.'

Hovering, he lifted the box over his hand, while backing his left hand.

'You are King. But it is not your task to go up. It is mine. I hope you understand.' And he fled to the cloud and vanished in that.

*

Thank you.