RETURN OF THE HYBRID (Book III)

Chapter 3

Leon settled on a brown horse from one of the numerous that were grazing in king Rhode's fields. He had never rode one before but for some unknown reasons he felt very confident he could ride one. And then there was the compulsion, a strong urge to go prove himself in the battle field, the same unexplainable urge that send him in the palace. Something was right or wrong about the palace that he was so attracted to and he was willing to find out, he had to. It was the only way he was going to get home where the love of his life was waiting.

"My prince take my sword and bow" Herman said to him.

He was still fumbling with the rope to free the horse.

"Thank you, can you..."

"Help with the horse? Yeah" Herman said happily interrupting him.

It was as though the rope knew him, Herman did not spend as much time on it as Leon did. The prince was dressed in a long black rob, under it a red garment with a leather belt, he added the sword and a bow around his shoulders giving him a warrior look with his long black boots bracing his knee capes.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Herman asked hesitantly.

"I have to prove myself worthy, I don't know why but I have to"

"Good luck may the gods have mercy on you" Herman said.

He just nodded and got on top of the horse luckily it behaved and when he kicked it once it started moving. In the sprawling town, people moving around with their daily business, fruits and bread baking flour, cows, sheep and goat and vegetables all laid by the roadside. Shekels of gold and silver were being exchanged. The people paved the way for him, he did not realize he was riding a royal horse others were looking at him with anger and resentment. The environment was not that welcoming. Meanwhile the General of the Army was at the market place soliciting people to join him and fight for their kingdom. When he saw Leon he walked towards him, marching majestically like a strong man he was.

"And who are you, why are you riding the royal horse?" He asked.

"Leon Rhodes general I want to join the kings men and help push back the enemy, show me the direction" He said confidently

The general burst into laughter. As if that was not enough he called around some of his men and explained to them what the expensively dressed royal boy was saying.

"You majesty, I don't know if I should call you that but the moment you leave this market to the war you are not coming back" The general said amid chuckles

"War is not for people like you" Another one said making a scary face.

He had bloodshot eyes, a large scar like that of an axe ran from his forehead down to his right eye and his beard was brown or just dirty. He had a piece of wood in his mouth that he was constantly chewing without finishing it, a sword and a large knife both dangling around his waist tied in a leather strap.

"Are you gentlemen done?"

"No we are just getting started"

"Cut the crap and go back to the palace!" The general ordered.

All he wanted was to join the war not to start another one with his own men. Leon got off the horse. They looked at him surprised. He walked to the general with his hands held back, his claws were threatening to pop right out of his fingers and he was struggling with his eyes, generally his supernatural self was boiling with uncontrollable anger. Leon held both of his hands, a faint not easily noticed red glow in his eyes.

"You are going to tell one of your men to escort to me" He said smiling.

The other way was to just rip off his head and drink his blood but he was feeling so generous to let him live. The others laughed as their general turned around looking like he had just woken up from a dream.

"You two, take him to camp!" The general ordered.

"What?"

"That's an order!" He barked and walked away.

And so the prince was escorted to the camp. His horse in the middle the two riders by his side. They went past the hills and rivers, they crossed the valley then a forest and from far they could see smoke emanating from a camp. It was a messy scene, wounded soldiers were everywhere he wondered who were fighting when the camp was a hospital. Others were screaming in pain as the medicine men performed their medical operations on them. He pitied them.

"Here you are, now what?" One of his escorts asked mockingly.

"Now you leave, take the wounded with you as many as you can" He said getting off his horse.

Leon had not used a sword before in his life but the way he was holding and swinging it they thought he was a pro. Back in his normal timeline people were more advanced, they used guns, swords belonged to the museums where they went to watch them just to pass time.

"Is this some kind of a joke fella?"

"No its not I will take care of the enemy you go"

"You have a death wish"

"You bet I do"

Why he was in 1823 was a mystery and why he felt so compelled to help the kings army and even pretend to be his long lost son from one of his numerous concubines was also another mystery to him. Yet something was telling him, an instinct that the path that was laid before him was leading him to his destiny and a way back home. They started clearing the camp, the wounded were stacked in chariots those who could still ride the horses rode away. Leon scanned the surrounding area, the wind was blowing in his face messing up his long silky hair cascading down his back. And from the wind he got the scent, he heard the voices and felt the heartbeats of his enemies.

"Everyone is evacuated I don't know what you are planning but the rival army is in hundreds and they will attack soon. You still have time to run for your life and let us handle this"

"Am not running, now go!"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive I got this"

They all left for the forest. He watched until the last man rode away on his horse. Leon took a deep breath. He could still smell the enemy from far, hundreds of heart beats and they were singing dirges on top of their lungs. The rock pebbles under his boot were shaking probably from the impact of the horses. At first he saw a cloud of dust, in the lead was a horse on which a man rode with flag followed by many horses he could barely see the riders with his human eyes. He stood there until they arrived.

"Look what we have here” a huge man wearing a silver helmet said turning his horse right in front of Leon.

"You can all leave before this turns into a bloodbath" He said politely.

None of them felt the threat of his words.

"And who will lead the bloodbath? You? On your own I don't see anyone with you"

"Let's get the cowards they are escaping he is just a decoy" A man shouted from the crowd.

"We are not in a hurry, let me kill this one then we go trust me it won't take long" the guy who seemed like their leader said.

He jumped off his horse, took out his sword and matched towards Leon. He scanned him, head to toe and pushed him a little bit. Leon stumbled and dropping his sword sending the crowd into a neurotic frenzy of laughter. He picked up his sword and raised it high up in the sky as though he was calling on the gods for help. The leader pushed him again but unlike the other time, he was like an immovable stone. He pushed again and again the swag his sword but instead of using this own sword Leon grabbed the enemy’s sword with his bare hands. Their eyes popped as he broke it into two pieces.

"What are you made of?"

"A guy asking you and men to leave, the war is over"

"Kill him!" The men shouted.

He drew his knife and swung it stylishly but Leon evaded and sent his fist in his rib cage. His friends saw him droop the knife before he dropped himself Leon was standing with his heart in his hands. That's when reality sank in. They were not dealing with a normal clivestone soldier. Their remaining leader ordered all of them to ready their bow and arrows, they waited for his word all of them pointing them towards him. They had no idea he had evaded laser beam guns in a future they had never been there.

"Fire!" He shouted.

A sea of arrows came flying towards Leon but by the time the first one got to him he was already ripping them apart one after the other. The horses ran on different directions, scared and confused as their riders got decapitated, heads rolling on the ground blood oozing like a spring from the headless bodies running around, wriggling on the ground and others were still standing. At one point he took a sword and cut them into pieces, occasionally using his super lightning speed to tame those who dared to run. All of them had to die, a word of him living among them would have had catastrophic results. After close to ten minutes of bloodshed they were all lying there dead as he walked among them cutting off their heads with his sword. He tasted the blood of one of them, they had their camp not a few miles away from where they were. His face was covered in blood and he could still hear their screams. Leon took the heads of their generals and tied them in a rag. His horse was obediently waiting for him. He jumped on top of it and slowly he rode back to the king. They stopped by the river where he washed his face and garment. The river turned red as he washed his face, then his boots and sword. He got rid of his red coat and washed it to. He let it dry while his horse was grazing by the river bank.

"Am going to call you Don, after my uncle you are a really good friend" He said massaging his horse.

The animal just continued grazing. It's brown golden pelt shining in the sun. He went to the nearby fruit tree and gathered some fruit which he fed the horse.

"Good boy, you really are like Don"

*****

Back at the palace king Rhode was doing what he did best, partying. The best musician in the entire kingdom was entertaining him in the king’s ceremonial grounds. Playing a harp. On his stool the king had different kinds of food and fruit, with a calabash of fine wine. Herman came in with his head bowed and signaled the musician to stop.

"What? Why did you stop?" The king asked sounding agitated.

He was just starting to enjoy the music. That euphoric feeling was starting to sink in.

"Your majesty, I have a message from the oracle" Herman said.

"Who's going to die next? Me? The oracle had been carrying bad news ever since the war started. I don't like her" he said.

"My king she has good news this time" Herman defended confidently.

"And what's that?"

"The prince will save our kingdom your majesty. He said as we speak he had defeated the rival army and he will defeat many more. Your majesty he is our last chance"

Rhodes looked so uninterested in what Herman was saying as he continued to eat his fruit and drink his wine.

"Which prince?" queen Aliya asked.

Both Herman and Rhode were shocked. The prince fever was supposed to be a secret between the two of them and Aliya had a wind already.

"Eeeh...Aaah we were just talking about the past you know", Rhode stammered clearing his throat uncontrollably.

"Am sure I heard something to do with saving the kingdom what are you two not telling me?" she asked speculatively looking at the both of them.

Rhode was about to speak again when Leon came in, he had a piece of cloth on his bag it was red and dripping of blood, fresh blood. Aliya and Herman both turned to look at him. She looked at both of them wearing looks of surprise as though he was a ghost woo had just sprouted from the ground.

"My king" Leon went on one knee with his sword by his side and the cloth full of heads in front of him. rid prince