The Book of Ominiue: Starborn Read Online Free PDF Page B

mighty warrior and every dragon, except for the eldest. And upon the coast of Banadama all who could come were summoned to see them depart, knowing that they may never return.’
    Kíe was silent for a moment, his eyes dreamily looking out into the nothingness, lost in thought before he began to sing. His lionish voice was beautiful as it rang through the trees, blending with the sound of the trees rustling high up in the canopy. Two of the warriors, pulled out flute like instruments and began to play; one rang with a low resonances and the other in the middle range, creating a haunting tune. After a couple of verses, the other lionmen began to stomp in time and their voices joined the scholars in a sad and slow rhythm; their harmonies lifting into the night so that even the trees seemed to be listening. 
     
    ‘Upon the coast of the southern seas
    stands a great lord, fallen to his knees.
    Man and Lion, and the sacred kin,
    all there to watch them leave.
     
    From the seas at Banadama,
    the races watch from afar.
    Why are the wizards down cast?
    Did the Dragons leave to the very last?
     
    As the light falls to the earth
    the Markeeian lord surrenders all.
    Their kin fading into the night
    as they forsake our hidden plight.
     
    The surrounding world has grown quiet,
    for she mourns the Dragons flight.
    Beyond the horizon to the edge of night,
    a thousand men grieve the final fight.
     
    Our Lord rides upon the elder of beasts,
    his eyes shine brighter than the sun,
    his sword is drawn calling all,
    rider and Dragon soon to be gone.
     
    Beyond the horizon out to the sea,
    Dragon-kind have gone where did they flee?
    Their watery graves forever unseen.’
     
    The song softly drew to an end and the haunting melody faded, leaving the camp silent. No one dared to speak as Kíe seated himself and joined the silence. After some time they began to stir but even then their movements were slow and dream-like. When anyone spoke their voices were hushed, as if the presence of the song still lingered, and they were afraid to disturb it.
    Hanniver came to Shayne and asked in a hushed voice, ‘Can you tell the lionman for me that I would like to hear more of their music?’ The Brigadier was an Englishman, but his accent carried a faint hint of German, revealing the nation of his birth. Shayne looked at Christov Hanniver but the empty gaze of the Starborn forced him to turn away. He did not intend to make the Brigadier nervous, but his expressionless and silent interrogation was only ever received with unease.  Shayne conveyed the message. The Journeyman was delighted in the military man’s interest. Kíe did not possess the wary nature of the other lionmen, he was more open and happily joined the Earthmen if given the chance. The two left Shayne sitting there and talked long into the night, by the morning they were good friends.
     
    The sun rose on the final day and everyone was in high spirits. A couple of times Kíe drifted behind Shayne and talked with the Brigadier and sung more songs for him while the robots recorded them. The songs were mostly simple and joyful ones, including one about a lionman warrior who claimed to be the greatest warrior in the world. It was a very simple tune and one of the favourites amongst lionmen children and in taverns.
    Kíe also began to teach the Brigadier some words in their common tongue. The Brigadier did not require these lessons, they were already on his portable computer and if required the androids could also teach him, but he took the offer in friendship. Hanniver found joy in the lionman’s lessons; he happily repeated the words and shared the English equivalents. Hanniver was not the best of teachers, he found it difficult to convey meaning and would have been completely hopeless if it was not for the robots, but they both went through their words happily and enjoyed themselves.
    The party briefly rested upon a hill at midday, the great plains of the north visible from their vantage